GENUINE LOVE

                                                                             

During the early centuries of the Church, when Christians were being persecuted and martyred, some of them offered to die in place of others. Just like St. Maximillan Kolbe did during the Second World War in the concentration camp of Auschwitz. The pagans present in that camp were amazed at this and remarked; “See how they love one another”. If an unbeliever were to come into our various communities and homes or places of work today, will our actions and relation prompt him to say, “Ah! See how they love one another?”

Christ in his farewell discourse with his disciple gave the command to LOVE. This is not the first time we hear about the command to LOVE in the scripture. Leviticus 19:8, tells us “love your neighbor as you love yourself”, but our invitation to love this morning is peculiar because it invites us to take a step further, to love as Christ loved and this love which we are called to emulate is shown in Christ’s death for us. Hence, if we are to love as Christ did, then our love for one another has to be sacrificial, not simply emotional.

Again, we must bear in mind that the invitation to love is not a suggestion or a recommendation, it is a command. When we obediently follow this commandment, then we can indeed be God’s Friends and no longer servants. For the love we show to others will be a grateful return of Christ’s love for us and a sign that we are true Disciples of Christ.

We usually recognize people by their uniform or attire. From this we are able to tell peoples profession. In our community too, we wear cassocks, habits, and crosses. We recite the rosary and pray novenas. We join several pious societies and receive Holy Communion. These are very beautiful. But then if these practices are not permeated with Love, then they are empty! We cannot claim to be true Disciples of Christ when our hearts are filled with envy and jealousy. We cannot be God’s friends when our dealings with our neighbor are colored with sentiments and biases, and we even shoot each other with small pellets of malice. For Christ himself says, “This is how I will know you are my disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35. As such, Discipleship is not a matter of external attire; it is a matter of the heart!

In our hearts therefore, we must learn to love and accommodate one another. To be able to accommodate one another three things will help: 1. we must know that we are not God. We are placed over others so as to journey with them. We find this disposition in the life of Saint Catherine of Siena in her care for those around her, 2. This is not Heaven; things will never be perfect, 3. And finally, we must constantly be aware of our own frailty too. Knowing that none of us began from where we stand now.

Anyone who does not love has no peace and communion with God. Our community must exude love; this in turn will make it be a place of life and not of death, an enclave of cure not of disease, a stage of forgiveness and not of hatred.

Once again, the command to love is an obligation that we must carry out if we are to be true Disciples of Christ. Christ made that clear “You did not choose me; but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide”