Love One Another

Love One Another

April 28, 2013

Fifth Sunday after Easter

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.  They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”  Acts 14:21-22

He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”  The One who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”  Revelation 21:3a-5a

I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John  13:34-35

Piety

Piety is best seen in the love that Christians have for one another.  The invitation of Christ to our piety is the invitation to love one another as He has loved us.  There is no greater love than to give one's life for another.  We see piety in the way people offer their limbs for one another.  When we die, the offer of body parts might seem gruesome even as it is a powerful example of how much some are capable of loving others.  How we give our time and our energy to the needs of one another is love expressed and the fullness of piety.  Returning to a work we were part of is an example of piety when we return to encourage the good work others are doing in our stead.  Our piety is the fullness of the reflection of the love of Christ we have in our lives.

Study

I just finished rereading a book on the Japanese Martyrs that raised a devastating question: "Could you deny Christ for the sake of ending the sufferings of other Christians?"  Even if you thought that Christ was telling you to do it, could you believe that it really was Christ who told you to do so?  Study is how we discern what Christ is asking of us.  What fascinates my soul about the first martyrs of Christianity is how they encouraged each other to die for Christ.  A vision of Christ telling one to deny himself for the sake of others is all too easily believable.  Discernment allows us to make the best possible decision in a given moment.  Issues that are really important deserve as much time as we can give the decision.  If I found Christ going in the opposite direction, I would not mind changing direction in midstream no matter how wet I would get if I am to follow Christ.  There is always the possibility of being deceived.  The angel of dark can use the form of the angel of light.  The saints never took any decision for granted. Christ is the good news.  How we put ourselves into His shoes and bring the good news of God's love for us to the world is our job.  The good news is that God loves us so much he wants us to be one of us in his son, Christ, and God wants to be all of us in our life in Christ.  Our study allows us to deepen our relationship to Christ.

Action

Our actions in Christ allow us to be His word to our world.  We light up our world by living the love of Christ with one another.  Our reading of Scriptures allows us to put on the mind and the heart of Christ.  Our sharing the words of Christ in all of our actions allows us to become the update of Christ to our world.  Christ who is the same yesterday and tomorrow is the beauty of our love for one another.  We can change the world we live in by allowing our world to realize how much Christians love each other.  Selfishness can be replaced by selflessness and our world can know an end to poverty and war.  Our actions can make us instruments of salvation to our entire world.  John's vision of heaven can have its beginning in our world.  The Lamb will lead us to the springs of life-giving water.  We will be his sheep and he will be our good shepherd.