Jesus prays to the Father that the disciples might share in his joy. As a Fruit of the Spirit, joy is a quality that arises from our love with God and one another. May we look for joy in our lives today and share the joy of Jesus Christ with those we meet.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter
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The commandment to love one another as Christ loves us will stretch us and invite us to offer our entire lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. May our “Yes!” open our hearts to God’s love in our lives as we share this love with those we meet today.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of Easter
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“Love one another as I love you” is an awe-inspiring commandment. We cannot do this alone; rather, Jesus chooses us and appoints us to follow his example and bear the fruit of unconditional love in our hearts. As our friend, he gives us the grace and strength we need to walk in the light of his love.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of Easter
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Study: When in my life have I been most authentically and genuinely loving toward others? What helped me to live this way?
Pray: Who is difficult to love in my life right now? Pray that the love of Christ comes into our hearts to transform us into God’s love.
Serve: Who am I called to love today? How can I act toward another that brings Christ’s love into their lives?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of Easter
The second reading from 1 John 4:7-10 and the Gospel from John 15:9-17 are as blunt and direct as the Bible delivers. In the first and last analysis, everything we proclaim as Christians is measured and evaluated in the light of a single concept:
LOVE
And on first glance it sounds wonderful! Love evokes many wholesome and beautiful concepts that speak to our hearts; love lifts our spirits and draws us closer together – drawing strength and peace from both God and the people around us.
Yet love is also challenging. Love makes demands upon us to stretch beyond our normal comfort zones – thinking and acting in ways that are modeled on Jesus Christ. Consider…
While we strive for these practical applications of love on our good days, Lord knows we need to keep working at love – especially when we are in a bad place. Two keys thoughts can help us:
The first point is simple: we cannot fulfill God’s command to love unless we are closely connected to the Son of God. We hear that “God is love” in the 2nd reading, and we know that our lives draw grace and strength when we unite our hearts to the Lord. Staying close to Jesus helps us to evaluate and fulfill this key commandment.
The second point is immensely practical. Sometimes we don’t feel particularly loving! When that happens we can move ourselves to a better place by acting in a Godly fashion…the feelings will follow eventually. While our emotions are crucial sources of “inside information” to the state of our hearts, we guide our lives by Jesus (and not a momentary feeling) who loves us unconditionally. Thus, when we act in a loving way – love actually grows in our hearts!
“This I command you: love one another.”
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Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, Heinrich Hofmann; 1 June 1889, 480 x 599 pixels, Riverside Church, New York, NY.
The Good Shepherd offers his life for the care and protection of the sheep. The Lord’s example inspires us: God calls us – in spite of our imperfections and weaknesses – to care and protect those entrusted to us. May we call upon the Shepherd for what we need as we continue his service in the world.
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Easter
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The unity of the disciples through gratitude, love and peace offers us an example of how we draw together today with the people God puts in our lives. This is is not easy work…but it is worth it!
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter
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Study: Where have I experienced profound moments of unity with others?
Pray: Where do I see signs of disunity in my life? Call upon the Lord for grace and strength.
Serve: How can I help others grow closer together? How can I foster unity?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter
“The community of believers was of one heart and mind…” (Acts 4:32)
I marvel at the transformation of the disciples. Before the resurrection of Jesus they were filled with fear, paralyzed by their own weakness and doubt; after the resurrection they are changed, as evidenced in even the basic ways they lived and worked together.
One heart and mind!
Unity can be challenging in even the best circumstances: we see things differently, hold our own unique values and principles, as well as personal tastes and interests. Working together is tough, yet it is a common sign of holiness – the practical proof that we are doing our part to build the Lord’s kingdom here on earth.
What supports unity? Jesus Christ! Unity with Christ provides the grace for unity with Christ’s brothers and sisters; this clear sign of faith draws others to the Good News and fosters our community with one another. Take a look at a few of the patterns that emerge in today’s readings:
Another way to say it: Sharing, Gratitude, Love, Peace – which find their source in Jesus and flow through us to the those we meet. I would suggest that the disciples used these building blocks to form the first elements of the Church, working together in unity with the grace of Christ to proclaim the Good News.
This work continues today. We all know firsthand the effects of discord – where lives are broken and fragmented by selfishness, fear, hate, and a hardness of heart – yet we believe in something greater…Christ is triumphant! Our response can mirror the disciples:
May we bring these powerful blessings of the resurrection to our world today:
One heart and mind!
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Note: This post was first published on April 12, 2015.
The love of Jesus is a light that shines in the darkness of our world. As we draw near to Christ we open our hearts and allow his love to fill and flow through our lives.
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Lent
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Study: When have I experienced a profound moment of love? How did that moment change my life?
Pray: Ask for the grace to embrace and share God’s love with others. Today.
Serve: How might I put my love into action for another? How might I show someone the love I have in my heart?
Pastoral Note: The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent provide an option for using the “Year A” readings at Mass for the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process, but for those who follow the usual cycle the reflection is offered below.
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Lent
Do you ever wonder just how great God’s love really is? How amazing? How awesome? I keep thinking about different analogies that show the reality of divine love when compared to human understanding.
For example: If my entire awareness of God’s love could be viewed, it would be like a drop of water – compared to the Pacific Ocean of God’s love. Or a grain of sand – compared to the Sahara Desert. Or a single blade of grass – compared to the Midwest Prairie.
The fact is, there is no comparison that can truly show the height, depth, power, or magnitude of the love of God. No analogy, no image, no description can do it justice…yet we can use our limited language to give us a hint:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)
This is God’s demonstration of love. Look at a Cross; listen to the Stations; read the Passion. The love of God is not words or clever thoughts. The love of God is manifest through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – out of love for us.
The question is – Do we believe it? Do we accept in our hearts that this love is for us? Do we live with the conviction that God values us, cherishes us, treasures us, forgives us, and loves us with this sort of intensity?
If we do believe, then our lives are forever changed. If we receive these words and open our hearts, then God will come and transform us. The Lord’s power is that great; once we say “Yes” to Christ we begin a process that will draw us steadily closer to God and one another.
We have heard these words so often that we can take them for granted. We can overlook their meaning and miss the point. Lent gives us time to search into our hearts and recognize this love for what it is – God’s way of calling us home.
May we be ready to respond!
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Note: This post was first published on March 8, 2015.
While the phrase “love one another” sounds great when we like the people in question, the real test of faith occurs when it’s tough. The command of Jesus to “love your enemies” will demand us to become like the Lord – who even forgave those who nailed him to the Cross. To do this we call upon God for the grace we need to be filled with the love of Christ so that we can share his love in all moments of life…even when surrounded by enemies.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent
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Three Great Things 