The readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C) May be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050921.cfm
Love one another as I love you.
It seems fitting that this gospel passage falls on Mother’s Day weekend as perhaps no one loves or sacrifices more than the way mothers do for their children. I’ve said it before, that if men had to give birth, the human race would have died out a long time ago, so make sure you remember your mother this weekend, either with a call, a visit or with your prayers.
Love one another. It’s possible that this could be the singular, most important point in scripture and I think our gospel writer, St. John felt the same way.
Legend has it that every Sunday, as St. John presided over the Eucharist, he would get up to preach. And each time he would deliver the same homily saying these words:
“Little children, love one another”, and then, he would stop talking and sit down. That’s it, period, the end. After a while of hearing the same three second homily, people would ask why all he ever preached was “Little children, love one another” - and he would respond by saying, “What else is there?”
Love one another. So simple. But we complicate it.
Now love is nothing new, it’s why we were created by God in the first place.
Loving our neighbor was already commanded in the Old Testament, then Jesus took it to another level when He commanded that we love our enemies as well. Raise your hand if you’re good at that one - loving your enemies. Yeah - me neither.
Jesus also reinforced the first commandment when he reminded us to “Love God with all your heart and soul and mind”.
But when Jesus says to “love one another as I love you” he takes it about as far as you can take it, ultimately by giving His life for us on the cross.
Now, Jesus doesn’t expect us to die for each other, but He does expect us to cater less to our own wants and to focus more on others, especially those in the most need.
The self giving love that Jesus lives is how we’re supposed to love.
Taking the extra shift to take care of the family. Checking in on elderly neighbors who might be alone to make sure they are ok. Cooking for a less fortunate neighbor who might be scraping by to make ends meet choosing between medications and food. And loving them whether they are a left-winger or a red hat, vaccinated or anti-vaxer, regardless of the color of their skin or whether we know them or not, whether or not they would do it for us and without expecting anything in return.
But sacrificing for others, out of love is really hard. So, why do it?
The Blessed Mother Theresa might have said it best. When she was asked why she spent so much effort helping people who were going to die anyway, especially when most of them were not even Christian...the answer she gave was simple.
She answered that she had no choice. She was a Christian, committed to serving Jesus….and Christ, himself, identified with the poorest of the poor. She patterned her love on that of Christ - and in the process showed that she was a disciple of Jesus.
We’re called to do the same. How will the world know we are friends of Christ? By the way we love.
In the week ahead, I think we should all try to find a quiet pocket of time, just a few minutes to think about how we show God’s love to others. Can we be more sensitive to their needs? Can we listen more patiently to those in distress? Can we be brave enough to speak out against injustice when we see it? Can we help someone who needs it, expecting nothing in return and even if it is not easy to do? And can we do these things in a spirit of love?
This is how Jesus loves. It’s like St. John used to preach, “Little children, love one another.”
Because as he said so well - what else is there?
