Christian Love

Hi! and good Holy Tuesday to all of us, GUYS.  For our "daily bread" today:

THE GOOD NEWS (22 March 2016)

"MY children, I AM with you for only a little while; you will look for ME, but, as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you: where I AM going you cannot come.  Now I give you a new commandment: love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are MY disciples, if you have love for one another.

Simon Peter said to HIM, 'LORD, where are you going?'  JESUS answered, 'Where I AM going you cannot follow ME now, but afterwards you will.'  Peter said, 'LORD, why can't I follow YOU now?  I am ready to give my life for YOU.'  JESUS answered, 'To give your life for ME! Truly, I tell you, the cock will not crow before you have denied ME three times." - John 13:33-38 

(I give you a new commandment.  That is to say a commandment appropriate for the advent of a new era.  The Old Testament spoke of interior fidelity to GOD and love of neighbor, but the message often remained hidden among the complexities of the Law.  Besides, there are many ways of loving: even a fanatically religious person can claim to be loving to GOD.  In the New Testament JESUS says that love of GOD is the highest law.  The example given by the LORD during HIS earthly life reminds us of the way to love.

Love that is like GOD's aims at liberating our neighbor and enabling her to fully develop her GOD-given gifts.  Love like the LORD's helps the neighbor become what GOD wishes her to be, by passing through death to resurrection.

Moreover, when we go deeper into the mystery of divine love revealed to us through JESUS, our love becomes merged with the eternal love of GOD that alone, in the end, shall permeate all we do.  True love comes from GOD and makes us return to unity within GOD.

Time and again, JESUS points out the unique importance of Christian love.  Later, HIS apostles and the Church would sum up HIS teaching on love: Love of GOD is shown through love of our neighbor, love of our neighbor depends on love of GOD.  What is it really to love GOD?  The great saints and mystics of the Church tell us that love of GOD is not "to feel GOD," to feel devotion or affection for GOD.  Christian love lies not in  sentiment or feelings [though on some occasions we might feel affection or devotion, which is helpful]; to love GOD is to be determined to do what GOD wishes at each moment of our lives.  What GOD wishes of us regarding our neighbor is that we render loving service and forgiveness.)