Suggested Reading: JOHN 15: 9-17
“Love one another as I love you.” Pure and simple, this is the
foundation of our faith. Jesus gave this commandment to his disciples and to us
to follow. Whatever is to be done, however we approach our faith it must be
done with love. God is Love. He is the
First Love where all creation came from. We were created out of love and the
purpose of loving. A Christian Life without love is dead and useless.
The opposite of love is hatred. God did not create hatred. We
did. It goes against our very purpose when we act on hatred. Hatred causes pain
and suffering. It is an emotion that by its very definition lacks control and
purpose. At its root is pride which is the gateway to all other sin. Hate is
against nature and is against God. To fully embrace our faith hate must be
eliminated from all aspect of our lives. Hate is a destructive force while love
is a constructive one. God does not want to destroy. He only wants to build up.
Jesus made it perfectly clear through his actions that love was
at the center of his ministry. Jesus’ actions were dictated by this premise.
Even when he chastised his disciples love was at the center. In the gospel
reading today he referred to his disciples as his friends. This displayed a
very intimate and personal relationship. The master/slave relationship was
eliminated in favor of love. It was the final piece of the puzzle which brought
everything together. In the same manner, our lives and relationship with him
cannot be complete unless the glue, which is love, binds our whole Christian
Experience together. We must all be bonded together with love.
Life can be complicated with so many relationships and
interactions to consider. We are presented with so many choices on a daily
basis. Any bad choice can lead to dire consequences which we could have never
predicted. This is a great challenge to all of us as we struggle against temptation
and our will over that of God’s intentions. We need to overcome the anger of
Cain so that we can experience the love and innocence of Abel. Abel’s actions
were done out of selflessness and love while at the center of Cain’s was
jealousy and hatred.
We are all wounded. A life with God enables the healing to
begin. Even though our arrogance teaches us that we are the physicians of our
soul this is not true. Opening up and being receptive to the Sacred Scriptures
and the love of God can let his healing balm do its work. We can feel his work
every day if we only permit him to enter. If we do not like where we are going
or what we are doing, we only have to turn to God and cry out for his
assistance like a wounded soldier on the battlefield of life. We never have to
be alone and we never have to suffer. There is no pain and torment that cannot
be endured with love.
Deacon Tom
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