Akhsi Wary csc –
Readings: Acts 15: 22-32; Jn 15: 12-17
“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus simplified his commandment, but it is not so simple to live.
This is where most of us struggle in our everyday lives. Indeed, this gospel reading is a challenge for most of us. To understand the meaning of Jesus’ command, we must understand what love is. We use the word love very often, but the true meaning of that word is not always clearly understood by many of us.
The dictionary defines love as a deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons. And for Jesus, love is self-sacrificing for others. When we love someone, we are genuinely concerned about their wellbeing. And one of the ways to show love to others is to pray for them, for their family and for their wellbeing.
Indeed, this is the message that Jesus had for his disciples and that is what he has for us today. He commands us to love one another; to be concerned for the wellbeing of one another; to wish one another well and to help one another. He further says that it is not only praying and wishing well but demonstrating our genuine love and concern in our actions. We have seen what the fruit of love is and how powerful it is, even changing a person who is reckless. Yes, we have seen the lives of saints who loved very much, influenced many other people by their love and eventually paid their life for others.
Today, we who follow Jesus are really invited to demonstrate our love for one another in action. Through the very life we live, I am sure, we can influence the world around us by our very life.