Photo illustration by Phil Younk
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Put God’s Love into action, service
Based on the Gospel of John 15:9-17
Transforming Love! Continuing from last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is at table for the Last Supper with his personally chosen Twelve Apostles. He tells them he loves them just as much as his Father loves him. Jesus calls them his friends and appoints them to share his love with others. He gives them a new commandment – a summary of all his teaching and of his entire life – and says, “Love one another as I love you.”
Jesus’ love transforms people. The Apostles changed from humble fishermen to bold missionaries.
The Apostle Paul changed from a cruel persecutor of Christians to a self-sacrificing evangelizer for Christ. Among today’s modern disciples is Blessed Mother Teresa who changed from a humble teaching nun to a devoted leader. She founded the Missionaries of Charity whose mission is to provide love and comfort to the sick and dying people abandoned in the streets – the poorest of the poor.
God sent his Son, Jesus, into the world because he loves all whom he has created in his image and likeness.
The commandments Jesus heard from God the Father he made known to us. Jesus ultimately fulfilled his Father’s commandments by his death on the cross and Resurrection.
Love. Obedience. Bearing fruit. We are called to obey the will of God just as Jesus was.
We are called to love one another as he has loved us – a selfless and unconditional love. Jesus’ kind of love means we need to be prayerful, unselfish, welcoming, giving, sharing, helping, listening, comforting, forgiving and so on.
Each of us has special work to do for Jesus. He says to us, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit. This I command you: love one another.”
Blessed Mother Teresa once said: “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.
How do we put the love for God in action? By being faithful to our family and to the duties that God has entrusted to us.
Whatever form we are – able or disabled, rich or poor – it is not how much we do but how much love we put in the doing – a lifelong sharing of love with others.”
