7-May-15

Gospel JN 15:9-11
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”
Reflection:

Jesus tells us, "Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love."
What does it mean to remain in the love of Christ, and how do we do that?
Jesus had explained earlier in this gospel exactly how we should remain in His love.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13: 34
Wow, I think that's great! It's as clear as a bell. All I have to do is love people. That's simple enough.
Then why do I have such difficulty loving people? Why do I find myself holding onto resentments? Why, so many times, do I see the things about people that frustrate me before I see their good qualities?
When I re-read this "new commandment," I realize I have missed the key that unlocks the answer to my questions: "Even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
Jesus is telling me to love others in the same way He loves me, in spite of all my weaknesses, imperfections, failings, and sins.
That's a tall order. What hope do we have of ever being able to love like that?Our hope lies in the knowledge that we are made in the image of God. To be made "in the image" means to be a reflection. We are called to be a reflection of Christ, to love everyone we meet as Christ loves us.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35