On this sixth Sunday of Easter we hear one of the foundational beliefs of our Christian faith: Jesus proclaims to his disciples that just as the Father has loved him so he loves them and that there is no greater love than for someone to lay down their life for a friend (which, of course, is exactly what he is about to do!). In the second reading St John tells us clearly that God is love itself! And Jesus calls us to abide in that love, to dwell in it, to live from it.
During this Easter season we are invited to reflect on this amazing deep and passionate love that God has for each one of us, that we are loved even in the midst of our brokenness and sinfulness. Jesus was willing to lay down his life to show us that boundless love of which he spoke to his disciples. This deep and passionate love that God has for us is for all people and even St Peter comes to realize this, and we hear him recognize that God shows no partiality. And we are called to love one another as Christ loves us, and we are empowered to do this in and through the grace of the Eucharist which not only empowers us but emboldens us to reach out to embrace “the other”, especially those most in need -- those most despised and dejected, those marginalized by ourselves and by the broader society.
Just as St Peter came to recognize that God’s love stretched beyond the people of Israel so too we are called to see God’s amazing and transformative love for all peoples and allow it to change our hearts and minds that we might draw near to all those who suffer and are in need and whom others dehumanize and distance themselves from. This then shapes and impacts our world view and how we see other people, other cultures and other countries and how we are called as disciples to interact with them. Reaching out and embracing “the other”, the one who is different, is difficult but it is precisely what we are called to do as Jesus’ disciples.
What can I do to better accept God’s love for me in my life that I might share it with others? To whom is God’s love calling me to love and accept, in my family, my school, my community, my country, the world?
Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim
During this Easter season we are invited to reflect on this amazing deep and passionate love that God has for each one of us, that we are loved even in the midst of our brokenness and sinfulness. Jesus was willing to lay down his life to show us that boundless love of which he spoke to his disciples. This deep and passionate love that God has for us is for all people and even St Peter comes to realize this, and we hear him recognize that God shows no partiality. And we are called to love one another as Christ loves us, and we are empowered to do this in and through the grace of the Eucharist which not only empowers us but emboldens us to reach out to embrace “the other”, especially those most in need -- those most despised and dejected, those marginalized by ourselves and by the broader society.
Just as St Peter came to recognize that God’s love stretched beyond the people of Israel so too we are called to see God’s amazing and transformative love for all peoples and allow it to change our hearts and minds that we might draw near to all those who suffer and are in need and whom others dehumanize and distance themselves from. This then shapes and impacts our world view and how we see other people, other cultures and other countries and how we are called as disciples to interact with them. Reaching out and embracing “the other”, the one who is different, is difficult but it is precisely what we are called to do as Jesus’ disciples.
What can I do to better accept God’s love for me in my life that I might share it with others? To whom is God’s love calling me to love and accept, in my family, my school, my community, my country, the world?
Easter Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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