WE MUST LEARN TO LOVE IN JESUS’ WAY

V EASTER SUNDAY - John 15:1-8

Love! A wonderful word that warms the heart as if driven by magic. It is a word repeated time and again in all colours and tones, a word sung in most songs and celebrated in most forms of art. It is as if we are inebriated with love and have become addicted to it. And the question arises in our minds: What is love? How do we recognise it? Is it just a nice and warm feeling? Is it the satisfaction that I find in others? Or is it the inner strength to give myself to the one I love?

Due to the complexity of love, the Greeks used four words to express different types of love: 

1. Philos, from Philia (φιλία): indicates a virtuous and dispassionate love." "It is described as the love between friends and siblings" 
2. Érōs, of Eros (ερως): it is, above all, the sexual passion. "It would be love among lovers." 
3. Storgé, from Storge (στοργή): "It is used to indicate natural affection as that which parents feel for their offspring." 
4. Agapē, from agápi (αγάπη): means unconditional love, as the love of God for man and the love that God places in the heart of man.

According to Paul in his love hymn (1 Cor. 13), there is nothing superior to love (agape), since faith and hope will disappear, but love will be eternal. In his first letter, John tells us that God is love and that “love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4: 7)

The sincerity and truth of love - of any kind of love - are proven by this love (agape), in which we learn from God to love with our whole heart and with our whole being. Love cannot be confused with a blind but fleeting passion that seeks to find in the other the satisfaction of my desires, exceeding in the search for pleasure. Unless love goes hand in hand with commitment, making me rejoice at the happiness of the other as I help him/her to achieve it to the full and to be exceeded, I am full of selfishness disguised as love. Jesus tells us that "no one has more love than one who lays down his life for his friends" (Jn 15,13).

This Sunday’s second reading speaks of love as well and we are told to love “not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 Jn 3:18). True love manifests itself in commitment and service. Indeed, love gives the strength to work and to suffer for the ones I love. It is in difficult times, when we go through trials, that we discover the true friends, those who love us, in spite of our weaknesses and our failures. Words of everlasting love may be delusional and they can easily be a trap into which we may fall. Jesus proposed his love as the example and the measure of our love: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34).

In this Sunday’s gospel, we are invited to be united to Jesus as the branches are to the vine. Jesus is the vine and we must be in him, so that we may produce fruits. “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” (Jn 15:4). This is only possible with a deep relationship of love, as Jesus explains: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love” (Jn 15:9).

Let us pray to the Lord that he may fill us with his Spirit, the Spirit of Love. May we experience that love and learn it from Jesus, becoming one with him. If we practice love in Jesus’ way, then we will find joy and happiness: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11)

CALLED TO BE GOOD SHEPHERDS

IV EASTER SUNDAY - John 10:11-18

Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd “who lays down his life for his sheep” and he points out the difference between a shepherd and a hired man. The hired man only thinks of his wages and cares little for the sheep. He will not risk his life to guarantee the safety of the flock. When he sees the wolf coming, he runs away and abandons the sheep, leaving them at the mercy of the predators. Jesus cares about his own and is ready to give up his life for them. He put his life at the service of others, being a role model for all those who are called to do a service for the others.

It is not surprising that the Church dedicates this Sunday for a reflection on vocation, asking the community to pray for the vocations. There are many and different vocations. Whenever we dedicate ourselves to do something for the service of others and see it as the accomplishment of a mission, then we are following a vocation. And that is different from having a job. Nowadays, some people get jobs just for the sake of money. They are like mercenaries: they only care about their lives and the money they can earn. However, when we do something with all heart and mind, putting ourselves at the service of others, then we have a vocation. And we feel good about it because it leads us to get the best of ourselves. It leads us to fulfilment and to happiness.

The first reading presents Peter explaining to the Sanhedrin, how the lame had been healed. Peter stated clearly that it was in the name of Jesus. But this physical healing was a sign of a much greater cure. And Peter proclaimed the message that has been proclaimed from generation to generation: "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). In his letter to the Romans, Paul would say: "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom 10,13). Later, in the letter to the Philippians, he had to say the same, but in a more solemn way: 

God “bestowed on him the name 

that is above every name, 

so that at the name of Jesus 

every knee should bow, 

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess 

that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2,9-11). 

It is very clear that the name of Jesus is superior to all names, and for this reason, a spirituality developed around the name of Jesus. St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, advised us to "give thanks always to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 5,20). Over time, this led to the introduction of the prayer of the name of Jesus, in which the following phrase is repeated continuously, keeping pace with the rhythm of breathing:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me a sinner.”

LET THE LIGHT OF YOUR FACE SHINE ON US

III EASTER SUNDAY - Psalm 4

There is a question for which we don’t find a straight answer, and in spite of that, we go on asking it: What will bring us happiness? In Psalm 4:6, we find that same question asked by many: “Who will bring us prosperity?” (Ps 4:6 NIV) We cannot stop asking that question and we are never satisfied with the answers we get. And so we go on searching. One thing we learn as we go along with many turns and twists: the things that we possess don’t bring peace and happiness, as they cannot quench our thirst for joy and peace since they become burdensome as a daily source of worries, jealousies and envies. True happiness can be found only when we make others happy and it can be fulfilling only when it is shared. We cannot find happiness alone, enclosed in an ivory tower and gazing upon our navel. We cannot find happiness, while others experience disgrace.

However, to the question about a way to happiness, the Psalmist gives an answer:

“Let the light of your face shine on us. 

Fill my heart with joy.” (Ps 4:6 -7)

True happiness is a gift from God that we must ask, entrusting ourselves to him, being sure that he hears my prayer and “gives me relief from my distress.” He is full of mercy and with him by my side 

“In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, Lord,

make me dwell in safety.” (Ps 4:8)

Only entrusting myself to God’s care, I can feel at peace.  Happiness comes from God’s love in as much as we are ready to accept his love and allow it to transform our lives. Far from God, it is impossible to find happiness, and it will be even more so if we turn ourselves against him or substitute him with what is the fruit of our work or our imagination.

In the second reading, we are told that God’s love comes to perfection in us when we keep his commandments or obey his word (1 Jn 2:5).”Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist” (1 Jn 2:4).

God’s word gives guidance, it encourages, counsels and corrects. The word of God challenges us and leads us forward towards the encounter with God. The word of God gives direction and meaning. We must seat at the Lord’s feet and open our hearts and minds to his word, learning from him and allowing him to transform us into his own image. 

Jesus will open our minds to understand the Scriptures (Lc 24:45), leading us to recognise that he is alive. Then he will strengthen us with his Spirit to make us witnesses of his resurrection (Lc 24:48). He is truly alive and he is Lord of living and dead. To him, we sing Alleluia!

CELEBRATING GOD’S MERCIFUL LOVE

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY (II EASTER SUNDAY) -  John 20:19-31

The Pope Saint John Paul II dedicated this Sunday to the Divine Mercy to remind us of what we should be aware of daily, that is God is merciful and is mercy is always plentiful. He never gets tired of accepting us with a welcoming embrace, forgiving our sins and clothing us with the justice and the holiness of Jesus Christ. Celebrating the Divine Mercy, we are celebrating the outpouring of God’s love upon us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:16-17) That’s why we sing with the Psalm 118: “His steadfast love endures forever.” (Ps 118:2-4). 

Jesus came to reconcile us with God, so that we may be accepted in God’s household as members of his family. And he entrusted to his disciples the same mission he had received from the Father: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.” (Jn 20:21). In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says that God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Co 5:18). The Gospel of John makes it very clear when, after the resurrection, Jesus imparted the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, giving them the authority to forgive sins:

“Receive the Holy Spirit. 

If you forgive the sins of any, 

they are forgiven them; 

if you retain the sins of any, 

they are retained.” (Jn 20:22-23)

Jesus came to establish the community of reconciled people since the reconciliation with God implies the reconciliation with the others. Being forgiving, we learn to forgive. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents the fruits of a reconciled community: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul”, and this communion made possible the sharing of everything. Strengthened with the Spirit, they were able to pay attention to the needs of each of their members. Selfishness gave place to the love expressed in the service of others.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, for “His steadfast love endures forever”.