Fr. Carlo Di Sopra sx
6th Sunday easter year B
After miracles, parables and talks, Jesus now reveals his life in the Trinity. He shares with us his experience as the Son of the Father. “The Father has loved me”. He opens for us the way to contemplate and more than that, to participate in this life of the Trinity. “I loved you”, “Remain in my love”.
As to avoid any misinterpretation Jesus adds that love is not a feeling or a nice sentiment. It is instead to keep the commandments, not to say: Lord Lord... but to do the will of the Father, this is the source of joy for the disciples, and for us too.
At this point there is another revelation. Jesus had already explained to the disciples that they should love everybody, without expecting anything in return, so to receive the recompense from God. He had already indicated the beneficiaries of the love he was talking about, the hungry, thirsty, sick, in prison..., the poor. But now Jesus gives another word to his friends, a commandment that he calls “My commandment”: “love one another”. Those who follow Jesus will have to love each other. From this love in fact they will be recognised as his disciples. Once I was explaining to group of young people the need to ‘love one another’ and I remember one asking me: “but which love are you talking about?” Good question. So, Jesus, what love are you talking about? “As the Father loved me I loved you”. “As I loved you, so you have to love one another”. And if we still ask “how” here is the explanation for that “as”, small word but so important in order to understand the kind of love the Father first, then Jesus and finally every Christian have. The greatest love, a love that makes the Fater, Jesus and the Christians “lay down their life for their friends”. Yes, very far from sentimentalism and very demanding a love like that, but able to make us become part of the Family of God and enable us to invite others to become part of this Family, to “bear fruit”.
Here in Sierra Leone, the war came and ebola came. What made us stay? That “as” that explains what love is. What makes us overcome difficulties in our relationships in the community and with people we meet if not the desire of a “greater love”?
I recently visited a tiny Christian community in a very far off village. They felt many times discriminated by their Muslim brothers, opposed even in the family by parents and brothers and sisters. But they were faithful to Jesus, united among themselves, supporting each other even if the father could not visit them very often, and continuing to do good to all because Jesus was their model. I thought that they had understood the essential of what Jesus says today.
6th Sunday easter year B
After miracles, parables and talks, Jesus now reveals his life in the Trinity. He shares with us his experience as the Son of the Father. “The Father has loved me”. He opens for us the way to contemplate and more than that, to participate in this life of the Trinity. “I loved you”, “Remain in my love”.
As to avoid any misinterpretation Jesus adds that love is not a feeling or a nice sentiment. It is instead to keep the commandments, not to say: Lord Lord... but to do the will of the Father, this is the source of joy for the disciples, and for us too.
At this point there is another revelation. Jesus had already explained to the disciples that they should love everybody, without expecting anything in return, so to receive the recompense from God. He had already indicated the beneficiaries of the love he was talking about, the hungry, thirsty, sick, in prison..., the poor. But now Jesus gives another word to his friends, a commandment that he calls “My commandment”: “love one another”. Those who follow Jesus will have to love each other. From this love in fact they will be recognised as his disciples. Once I was explaining to group of young people the need to ‘love one another’ and I remember one asking me: “but which love are you talking about?” Good question. So, Jesus, what love are you talking about? “As the Father loved me I loved you”. “As I loved you, so you have to love one another”. And if we still ask “how” here is the explanation for that “as”, small word but so important in order to understand the kind of love the Father first, then Jesus and finally every Christian have. The greatest love, a love that makes the Fater, Jesus and the Christians “lay down their life for their friends”. Yes, very far from sentimentalism and very demanding a love like that, but able to make us become part of the Family of God and enable us to invite others to become part of this Family, to “bear fruit”.
Here in Sierra Leone, the war came and ebola came. What made us stay? That “as” that explains what love is. What makes us overcome difficulties in our relationships in the community and with people we meet if not the desire of a “greater love”?
I recently visited a tiny Christian community in a very far off village. They felt many times discriminated by their Muslim brothers, opposed even in the family by parents and brothers and sisters. But they were faithful to Jesus, united among themselves, supporting each other even if the father could not visit them very often, and continuing to do good to all because Jesus was their model. I thought that they had understood the essential of what Jesus says today.