Love of Jesus: the Christian Identity

Love of Jesus: the Christian Identity

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

Acts 14:21-27, Rev. 21:1-5, Jn 13:31-33.34-35. On this Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C, the Church invites us to experience the newness of life which comes from God’s unconditional love for us. God’s unconditional love is the creative force which brings a total newness of life. The missionary passion of Paul and Barnabas to bring the Gospel to wider regions, especially to the non-Jews is a new enterprise as recorded in today's first reading. As Paul and Barnabas wind up their first missionary journey, they pass through some of the communities in which they have preached the goodnews, by setting up a way by which the new faith assemblies can carry on without them. In order that the Churches can continue to be faithful to the word which they have shared with them, the two missionary preachers set up elders, Presbyters - Priests, to tend to the needs of the communities. The two then return to Antioch, the place from which they were commissioned and “sent out,” to give an account of how God has opened the door so that the Gentiles could come into the household of faith. They celebrated the success of their work and were accountable because they did their work with love.

In today's second reading, John sees God pitching His tent amidst human beings to wipe away tears from their eyes and make everything new and Jesus gives the “New Commandment.” What is so new about the “New Commandment?” In essence, it does not seem different from the “Old” (Deut. 6:4), that spoke of loving God with one’s entire being and Levitical law (19:18) of loving one’s neighbour as oneself; and Jesus reaffirmed them as the “Great Commandment” (Cf. Mt. 22:37-40). Yet, the “New Commandment” is definitely new in terms of its model, scope and semiotic value: We shall do this lovely as Jesus did: “Just as I have loved you, you must...” If, in the Levitical law the “neighbour” applied tribalistically to members of one’s own group, here, Jesus leaves it open-ended, to include even our enemies (Cf. Mt. 5:44; Lk. 10:25-37). Love of such scope modelled after Jesus shall be the sign by which the world would know us as Christians: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In loving we identify ourselves as true followers of Christ and by so doing join hands with Him in the consolidation of the reign of the Kingdom of God; in the building of a new Heaven and a new earth, where His will is done. Love may make us seem like victims and vulnerable in the sight of opposition. Let us remain calm and know that in being victims and vulnerable in the practice of love we become victorious and this is the crown to win opposition over to learn to love. Today, we are challenged to love as deeply as we can, even if it hurt, for through love we can heal the world.

May the Lord who created us out of love and through love redeemed us in Christ, teach us to love so as to live and reign with Him in eternity! Amen!! Good morning and happy Sunday!!!

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