A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (Jn 15: 9 – 11)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
A command is not a request or a suggestion; it is an order given by an individual with authority that is expected to be obeyed by those under his or her influence. While Jesus is the ultimate authority in all respects, it is hard to think of Him as giving commandments. But He did!
Jesus mentioned the two greatest commandments in at least one occasion recorded by Luke (Lk 10:27) and by Matthew (Mt 22:34-40) in reply to a Pharisee who was testing Him. These are “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” However, just as He was saying farewell to His disciples and Apostles, Jesus added His one commandment to God’s greatest two ones: “… Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Jesus demonstrated his unending and unconditional love for all of us when He went about proclaiming the Kingdom of God and when He accepted death on the cross. His acts of love did not just include but they were primarily aimed for those of us who are displaced to the margins of society by those who boast of earthly authority and delight in promulgating commandments and decrees.
For two millennia the Church has followed Jesus’ command to “love one another as He loved us.” For these many centuries, scores of church members, including every saint, have loved the poor, the despised, the alien, the falsely persecuted, accused and incarcerated, the oppressed, the abused and alike with the same love that Jesus loved us; many to the point of shedding their blood.
Jesus, the ultimate authority in both Heaven and on Earth, asked us to “love God with all (our) heart and with all (our) soul and with all (our) strength and with all (our) mind’; and, Love (our) neighbor as (ourselves).” and He himself gave us only one commandment: “… Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The Church, foremost the office of St. Peter (that is the Popes), has never waiver on these commandments. Therefore, all true Christians around the world should rejoice to know that Pope Leo XIV intends to remain in Jesus’ love as he intends to love and serve with unapologetic preference those who are treated and seen as less than children of God.
Action of the Day
Do you follow someone else who expects you to be loyal to him? Is that person exhorting you to place limits on who to love? When to love others? How to treat others? If so, will these limits bring you eternal salvation? Will these divisions ensure that you remain in God’s Love?
Otherwise, how will you ensure that you remain in Jesus’ love? How would you make sure that the world knows that you are Jesus’ disciple? That you follow Jesus’ commandment to love one another? That you are truly Christian?
Audio Reflection:
