William Selvaraj csc –
Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Rev 21:1-5; Jn 13:31-35
We are in the fifth Sunday of Easter. In the first reading, St. Paul and Barnabas encourage people to continue in their faith. It is through the hardship and difficulties that we enter the kingdom of God where the continuous flow of God’s grace would work upon us. Through the second reading, we get an assurance that God himself will be with us and the new earth is the kingdom of God which is peaceful and joyful because he removes all mourning, pain and wipe away the tears from our eyes.
The gospel passage gives us a new commandment of love- ‘Love one another just as I have loved you.’ The focal point or theme of the whole Bible is ‘LOVE’. As Christians, we are identified as persons of love. In the early Christian community, people identified them by saying, ‘See how they love each other’. Jesus’ love for us is unconditional and selfsacrificing. He showed us the way to love by dying on the cross.
Jesus invites me to be compassionate, forgiving of those who have offended me. Jesus is always giving and forgives my wrongdoing.
Sometimes, I get things and forget. But still, he loves me because his nature is of love, self-giving and self-sacrifice. Love makes me think well, see well, behave and interact well with others. For me, the model of love is Jesus who asked me to show my love, care, concern to others as he has shown me.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to love the people who wrong us. But loving others is possible because Jesus showed a great example of forgiving the persecutors from the cross. It is our duty to spread the love of God to others through our words, thoughts, and actions in a concrete manner. We pray for the grace to forgive others, grow in faith and love one another as he has loved us.