Love of Jesus

Today’s Gospel Text:  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another. John 15:9-17

Reflection: Jesus’ discourse on love is often the most misunderstood teaching.

We are called to love and the essence of Christianity is indeed love; ask anyone and most of them will describe Christianity as a religion of love.

In the process we have failed to realize that the love of Christianity is not an indiscriminate ideology of love which can be freely interpreted by anyone and anyhow.

Many who practice it like an ideology of love compromise on the faith of Christ and thus given love a different twist and turn.

When Jesus loves us he loves us from an eternal perspective. 

His coming to us and taking our nature and then living like us and revealing to us God and his nature and giving us the freedom to address him as our Father and his suffering and death on the cross and his resurrection, tell us a story: the story of God’s love for us.

    

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18

We cannot say we love people and don’t reach out to them in service and the primary service is not feeding the people with material things but of feeding the world with the word that is able to save us for all eternity – an eternal perspective!  

In other words, even if immediate compulsions may compel us to feed them with the material for sustenance, the ultimate has to follow if not begun with.  

Christ who loved us as the Father has loved him, proved this love for us by his various actions and ultimately by the death on the cross.

Prayer: May your Love O Lord fill and satisfy us and thus compel us to reach out with your Gospel to others.

                                                              

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Receive His Mercy

Today’s Gospel Text:  As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. 10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Matt 9:9-13

Reflection: What an easy self explanatory passage, how well the story concludes with a punch line: “For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The passage brings out the image Christ as bold and at the same time compassionate towards the rejects and sinners in society.  He cared less for the human program or priorities and sought to fulfill God’s priorities for us.

God’s priority was this: “'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.”

God, in his desire to show forth his mercy to the sinful world, allowed Christ Jesus to become the sacrifice.

Has anything changed in the Christian community down the ages? Do we mix around freely with the sinners or the rejects of society? And if we do, then is it with the intention of bringing Christ’s love and forgiveness to them.

On the other hand you have a class of people who go beyond the scripture and every form of true religion. Who assert that, in the first place, you should not identify people as sinners and thus discriminate between them or create guilt in their hearts.

Call it by another name, but the reality doesn’t change; we all are sinners and so every man is guilty of transgression before the holy God.

I abhor such sociological noble thinkers, the superior idiots of our age, whose agenda of rehabilitation is only superficial, external and divisive, achieving only a temporary harmony in the social order.  

The real harmony is the internal and eternal one, which only Christ Jesus can bring about, first by healing the internal wounds of sin and reconciling humans to the creator and his creation.

Prayer: Lord, I am a sinner, for in sin I was conceived in my mother’s womb, help me to live a life reconciled to you and one another. (cfr. Ps. 51:5)

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Appreciating God’s gifts

Today’s Gospel Text: Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." 66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:60-69

Reflection:  O how easily we take it for granted the many truths of the gospel, which we have learnt from childhood, and do not value it.

In the gospel text we know that the disciples found it hard to assimilate the teaching on eating the flesh of the Son of man. We, who having been born and brought up receiving Jesus at every Eucharist take it for granted and may even not value what we are receiving.

Similarly, we take for granted so many aspects of our faith, which the disciples of Jesus, has had great difficulty in assimilating, as it was not only new but in great contrast to their Jewish faith and belief.

Hence you have the concepts of the Trinitarian God or the eating of the flesh of the Son of God, or the concept of the Son of God, a difficult proposition for those born in a Jewish tradition. 

Even though all of it had its basis in scripture, yet they failed to comprehend the truth of Jesus Christ: "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?” Mark 12:24

We see this truth further exemplified when Jesus confronts his disciples: "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? (vs. 61-62)

As for us we could talk about the Trinity, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the eating of the Body and drinking of the blood of Christ and yet feel quite comfortable about these basic elements of our faith.

Knowing this truth should invite us to thank God for being kind to us in revealing the truth about himself; without much difficulty because of our birth in a milieu, which we may have taken for granted.

We will never be able to fully comprehend what God has done, but we could do a lot by reflecting on the experiences of these disciples in the light of the struggle that they, who were born in a Jewish milieu, went through.

This appreciation is necessary to enable in us a greater measure of the grace of our salvation and to live a life more Dedicated to God and as his Disciples.

Prayer: I remember the days of old, I meditate on all that thou hast done; I muse on what thy hands have wrought. Ps 143:5

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Purpose of Forgiveness

Today’s Gospel Text: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. 23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Matt 18:21-35

Reflection: It is always good to remind ourselves of the great injunction of our beloved Lord to forgive our brothers and sisters in the Lord, even seventy times seven.

All those familiar with the language of the scripture know for sure that this exhortation invites us to forgive our brothers and sisters seventy times seven, which in reality means ever forgiving and never withholding that forgiveness.

Here I would like to look into one aspect of the motive or the reason for such an exhortation to forgive always, it could lead to a tendency to be tolerant of the wayward behavior of individuals in our midst.

We could be breeding a community in which we could go on sinning again and again and there could be no end to this wrongdoing.  If such wrongdoing continues on, then what witness could this Christian Community be to the world, where good deeds is the criteria for judging things.

That brings to the fore the whole human weakness and the reason for such weaknesses in individual and the need to cry to God for a spirit of patience and fortitude while dealing with people.

Unsound character is not always the fruit of unsound formation, it happens to creep in our sinful nature. In the case of some, even the best formation fails to form that most perfect character.  What is important is to have a desire to walk righteously and to keep working at it with the Lord’s help and grace. 

The Christian community was to be that crucible in which every type of individuals was to find its nest and would be working to develop their character in keeping with God’s word and God’s help.  While God would be working out his priority in the lives of the individual, the individual on the other hand would seek to work out on God’s priority in their lives.

True love exists and is made visible in such a community of the weak, where in we are still dedicated to love and care no matter what the other is going through and how the other behaves.

It is the love manifested in such a situation of unconditional forgiveness that a perfect transformation would take place, more so because God would be working out his own priority in the life of  the person, as he will keep infusing his patience in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, teach me patience as I seek your grace to forgive and love as you love and forgive us. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Limitation of Love

Scripture/Bible:  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11

Reflection:  What a way to love: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.”

Not a on the spot love or a love born out of any feelings but an eternal unselfish love.

We so often talk about love and give solutions and make statements that claim love as the basis for all answers. When some people talk about religions they have the same to say about them; “all religions talk about love”

Wish love was as easy an answer or a solution to all of human ills.  Yet it is true that love is the answer to most of human ills but not the love that we posses or know of, definitely not human love.

Human love is a contaminated love.  It is like water, not all water is the same, though  it may appear the same and even pure, and some consumed by humans may not really be fit for human consumption and yet no one may know about it but the experts.  What one thinks to be edible pure water, in fact could be contaminated water that can lead to serious internal damage.

Similarly Jesus the expert gives us the hope of understanding the true love which is his love; “abide in my love” and the simple way of doing it is by keeping his commandments. It means an effort on our part to understand his love and get into his love.

He is the only perfect model of love in human history and all who have perfected this love have been men and women who have chosen to abide in his love.  Apart from his love we cannot think of  being imitators of that perfect love.

The saints whom we acclaim today as role models, also had this one quality, chiefly that of acknowledging their source  and strength as coming from that eternal model, Christ Jesus himself who manifests it perfectly on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."  Luke 23:34

Prayer: Lord, may your love be poured into my heart my means of the Holy Spirit you have given me. (Cfr. Rm. 5:5)

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The partial Love

Scripture/Bible: Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. 5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. John 13:1-5

Reflection:  Life is lived in relationships and by holding on to some relationships we compromise on many other relationships.  You cannot relate in the same way with everyone as you would relate with your family. Some friends will have that special place in your life in comparison to the other. 

You may have 5000 friends and yet you are not relating with them all at the same level. Some may be good and some bad, some may be close and with some a hi and bye relationship, with some you may party and drink and some you may never want them for your celebrations but some even if you want them for your parties and gathering yet they may be elusive to your tastes.

“Only God loves everyone equally and in complete measure”, many will agree with me on this and say it is true 100%.   But I do not fully agree with what I have stated above and if it is in the context of what I have shared about friendship then I do not agree at all with what I have stated.

  

It is true that God loves every one irrespective of their caste, creed, race and colour but yet in today’s gospel we see this interesting statement about Jesus:  “…having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Now you may cry foul and say this is discrimination on God’s part and that he is partial only to the Christians and cares only for the few, it is his word that says it all.

Objectively speaking; yes Jesus loves everyone, irrespective, and this is his love in action; he came into this world to be the eternal sacrifice of redemption for the salvation of all mankind.  But the subjective statement in the Johanine Gospel is equally true; you cannot love a person, whom you are yet loving and continue to love, who does not respond to your transforming love and don’t want to be anywhere near you.  

All that Jesus can do is to hover over the larger humanity with his love, hoping that someday his children who are astray may realize their folly and turn to him and experience his transforming love and power.

 But to those who believe you can rest assured that he loves you as his own and is zealous over you and he will love you to the end and you can receive from this love always and at all times.   

Prayer:  Lord, I thank you for your constant love for me, may I never doubt this love of yours no matter what the odds.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us