“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.”
Feelings, as we know, can change sometimes rather quickly. So, how is it that we can we possibly love as Jesus loved? Many parents seem to have the talent to be able to love and accept all of their children. They seem to know what to say and what to do in order to help their children feel loved. Of course, they are not perfect. But they try very hard. Another way is to try to live Jesus in all our relationships—family-work-school, by trying to live Jesus in acceptance and mercy and forgiveness.
Tough stuff, alright, as life teaches us. However, in the other part of the Lord’s words –to strive to love like him, is how we will be recognized as belonging to him. Who of us doesn’t want to belong to Jesus? Belonging is a natural longing. We long for the love of God. However, we do not live detached from the world, but are touched by it and face its challenges daily. We try to be a sign of Christ in a world that is tumultuous and often feels like a foreign land. Sometimes schizophrenic—one foot trying to walk rightly in the Lord and the other stuck in the messes that can happen. Many messes we can cause by our decisions.
As we hear in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul stated “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Well as a church we certainly are undergoing many hardships. We are in a mess now. Although we face confusion, anger, fear, ambiguity, struggle and challenge to our faith, we still dwell and share life with the divine. Our Church is increasing this year, some call it the “Frances Affect” others point out that the US increase in Roman Catholics is proportionate to the increase of Hispanic-documented and undocumented immigrants. However, despite the sins and crimes of some in the Church’s history, and recent history of the scandal, we grew in 2015 and projected to do so again in 2016. We are doing many things right.
We are called to continue to strive to accomplish the work of Jesus in our Church and world. If your experience of this Church and this house of God has helped you grow in holiness I pray you proclaim that and witness it. Evangelization of recent times has also helped spread our faith and religion; more is needed.
However, what we hear Jesus claim as the best way to attract others to him and our Church is to show what defines our relatedness as he states: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer.” The words have an endearing quality, ‘my children.’ He is like a parent speaking to his ‘children’; to stay together after his ‘departure’ and the glue that will keep the bonds strong is love. There are lots of other passages in the gospels about our relatedness and loving others as we witness Christ for the good of others; especially those most in need of love. But here Jesus urges, indeed he commands, “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.” Jesus wants love to be the tie that binds all who claim to be Christians, his children—sisters and brothers—the family of God.
We may lose heart from time to time, but I know that Christ and the Holy Spirit are working now as they always have; just look at Pope Francis; look at how we seek to help the downtrodden refugees and all children. In love we not only welcome new members but also care and help for all in our faith family. Our promoting the great good Catholics continue to do daily in our Church, community, schools, and world reflects hope and love and remain focused on the teachings of Jesus.
The Roman Catholic Church and religion is incomparable to any other in the accomplishment of good, aid, mission, outreach and education. We are the ones called to bring hope to a world so greatly in need of love.
“Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world; yours are the feet with which he walks to do good; Yours are the hands with which he blesses the entire world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours” –attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila.
Christ has no mouth but ours to defend, renew, speak truth, and love like him,