Sunday, May 14, 2022
Firth Sunday of Easter Year C
First Reading: Acts 14:21-27
Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8-13
Gospel: John 13:31-35
In the Gospel today, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment; “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”
Love of neighbor was already commanded in the OT. Leviticus 19: 18 says “love your neighbor as yourself.” When Jesus was asked, which is the greatest commandment of the law? Quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5, He responded, “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Then He quickly added, “the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.” The love of neighbor commanded in the Old Law even extended to one’s enemies. Thus “if you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey, you must return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it” (Exodus 23: 4-5). That is a clear reference to charity toward those who hate us.
So, why does Jesus call it a new commandment? Jesus gives the commandment to love one’s neighbor a new meaning and content by adding, “as I have loved you.” How did Jesus love us? He loved us to the very end. He loved us and gave Himself for us. This new precept Jesus is giving here is much more demanding and includes returning good for evil because Christian love is measured not by my heart but by the heart of Jesus, who gives up his life on the cross to redeem all men including those who crucified Him. St. Peter said, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats…” (1 Peter 2:23).
Love that in the face of betraying Judases, lying Peters, wicked and mocking soldiers, made Jesus declare, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” This love is entirely new.
Dear friends, Jesus’ command, “love your neighbor even as I have loved you” pronounced over 2000 years ago is indeed still a new commandment, for few have taken the trouble to practice it. Most people both in the past and the present have chosen to ignore it. Love is always altruistic and selfless. The attitude of keeping to myself in order not to complicate my life is not the Christian attitude. It is not enough to avoid doing evil to others. Loving as Christ loved us involves reaching out to others.
Christ also enriched the love of neighbor and gave it a new meaning when He made Himself along with His brothers, the object of Christian charity: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Christ is united with all humanity especially the least of our society in a supernatural solidarity. He made charity the distinguishing mark of his disciples. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
There is a beautiful passage from St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, a classic work of Western spirituality and mysticism. Catherine, a late medieval Dominican nun is writing in the late 14th century. It is a recording of her long conversation with Jesus on the interior life of souls. In dialogue 64, Jesus explains to her why love of neighbor is the perfection of love. We often think we as long as we love God, we are fine. Jesus said to St Catherine, “I ask you to love me with same love with which I love you. But for me you cannot do this, for I love you without being loved. Whatever love you have for me you owe me, so you love me not gratuitously but out of duty, while I love you not out of duty but gratuitously. So, you cannot give me the kind of love I ask of you. This is why I have put you among your neighbors: so that you can do for them that you cannot do for me–that is, love them without any concern for thanks and without looking for any profit for yourself. And whatever you do for them I will consider done for me.”
What Jesus is saying is that the most perfect form of love is not the one that flows from duty, the one you owe someone. The most perfect love is gratuitous, i.e. when you love someone who doesn’t deserve it. We cannot love Him gratuitously because He has given us everything and we owe Him love, we owe Him everything. To love like Jesus, the object of our love has to be underserving of our love. That is why He gave you your neighbors. Continuing He asked St. Catherine, “Do you know how you can tell when your spiritual love is not perfect? He answered, “If you are distressed when it seems that those you love are not returning your love or not loving you as much as you think you love them. Or if you are distressed when it seems to you that you are being deprived of their company or comfort, or that they love someone else more than you.” You can be sure your love for Jesus and for your neighbor is still imperfect.
St. Jerome was the greatest biblical scholar of his age; he was responsible for translating the Bible into Latin that we know today as the Vulgate. According to him, when John the Evangelist grew very old and could no longer compose a sermon, each time he was brought to the podium, he would say over and over again, “little children, love one another.” When people asked him why he keeps repeating those same words, he answered, “if you do that, you do enough.”
Happy Sunday
Rev. Fr. Chidi Onwuka MSSCC