Beloved in Christ,
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you" (Jn 15:12; 13:34). The Beatles' 1967 song, "All You Need is Love, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, captures it in its simple but poignant lyrics, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done...All you need is love." The song reflects Jesus' commandment of love in this Sunday's gospel reading. Jesus Christ, the epitome of Love, mandates us, his followers, to love one another as He loves us. To love in Jesus' way is essential to make the world a better place, yet it is lacking in our world today. The importance of love in transforming the world as we know it today is indicated in the number of times the word love comes up in the sections of scriptures from 1 John 4: 7-10 (9 times) and John 15: 9-17 ( 9 times) presented for our reflection this Sunday. But we hear of love so often in our culture. The word "love" is mentioned in songs and so often from the lips of lovers. What love are we talking about today? Is it different from the love as seen in our culture and world?
There are many forms of love in the Greek language, the language in which John's Gospel is written. We are probably familiar with philia or eros forms of love. The Greek word John uses today is "agape" (with other derivatives like agapate, agapen, egapesa, etc). "Agape" is the word that conveys the type of love Jesus commands us to have for one another. It is the love that Jesus himself showed us by laying down his life for us. He, who is perfect and innocent, gave his life for us imperfect and sinful people.
When we allow God to love us, we appreciate love and become capable of loving others the same way we have been loved. To love another is a choice we make. It is an act of the will moved by the Holy Spirit. It is not dependent on emotion. When Jesus made a sacrifice of his life for us on the cross, with all the suffering, his feelings were not sweet and pleasant like those of two new lovers in movies and sometimes in life. If we must take our discipleship seriously and live up to it, we must heed the commandments of our Lord and Saviour; we must love all our brothers and sisters with the same spirit and actions Jesus shows us.
If we must love the way Jesus commands, we must fall in love with Him and spend time with him to learn from him. We must then embrace a life of constant union with Jesus in the Eucharist and listen to him daily in the Gospels. It is a choice that comes from the inspiration and help of the Holy Spirit. Let us never hesitate to respond to the invitation of the Holy Spirit to gaze on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed daily for adoration at our parish, Monday to Friday. Every first Monday of the month is our family time to spend an hour of Adoration with Jesus in silence and songs. If you want to be an effective witness to Jesus, to borrow the words of the song by the Beatles, all you need is love, and you will draw that love in its essence and fullness in the sacrament of love, the Holy Eucharist. Come to Jesus daily in Holy Communion and Adoration.
Please remember the following parish events coming up this month: parish pilgrimage to Padre Pio center, Barto (May 11), Forty Hours (May 12-14), and Pentecost Sunday Revival (May 19 at 6 p.m.). Also, remember to develop the habit of praying the Rosary daily, especially in the Marian Month of May.
All you need is love! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!
In His Love,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you" (Jn 15:12; 13:34). The Beatles' 1967 song, "All You Need is Love, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, captures it in its simple but poignant lyrics, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done...All you need is love." The song reflects Jesus' commandment of love in this Sunday's gospel reading. Jesus Christ, the epitome of Love, mandates us, his followers, to love one another as He loves us. To love in Jesus' way is essential to make the world a better place, yet it is lacking in our world today. The importance of love in transforming the world as we know it today is indicated in the number of times the word love comes up in the sections of scriptures from 1 John 4: 7-10 (9 times) and John 15: 9-17 ( 9 times) presented for our reflection this Sunday. But we hear of love so often in our culture. The word "love" is mentioned in songs and so often from the lips of lovers. What love are we talking about today? Is it different from the love as seen in our culture and world?
There are many forms of love in the Greek language, the language in which John's Gospel is written. We are probably familiar with philia or eros forms of love. The Greek word John uses today is "agape" (with other derivatives like agapate, agapen, egapesa, etc). "Agape" is the word that conveys the type of love Jesus commands us to have for one another. It is the love that Jesus himself showed us by laying down his life for us. He, who is perfect and innocent, gave his life for us imperfect and sinful people.
When we allow God to love us, we appreciate love and become capable of loving others the same way we have been loved. To love another is a choice we make. It is an act of the will moved by the Holy Spirit. It is not dependent on emotion. When Jesus made a sacrifice of his life for us on the cross, with all the suffering, his feelings were not sweet and pleasant like those of two new lovers in movies and sometimes in life. If we must take our discipleship seriously and live up to it, we must heed the commandments of our Lord and Saviour; we must love all our brothers and sisters with the same spirit and actions Jesus shows us.
If we must love the way Jesus commands, we must fall in love with Him and spend time with him to learn from him. We must then embrace a life of constant union with Jesus in the Eucharist and listen to him daily in the Gospels. It is a choice that comes from the inspiration and help of the Holy Spirit. Let us never hesitate to respond to the invitation of the Holy Spirit to gaze on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed daily for adoration at our parish, Monday to Friday. Every first Monday of the month is our family time to spend an hour of Adoration with Jesus in silence and songs. If you want to be an effective witness to Jesus, to borrow the words of the song by the Beatles, all you need is love, and you will draw that love in its essence and fullness in the sacrament of love, the Holy Eucharist. Come to Jesus daily in Holy Communion and Adoration.
Please remember the following parish events coming up this month: parish pilgrimage to Padre Pio center, Barto (May 11), Forty Hours (May 12-14), and Pentecost Sunday Revival (May 19 at 6 p.m.). Also, remember to develop the habit of praying the Rosary daily, especially in the Marian Month of May.
All you need is love! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!
In His Love,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
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