Love - That's His Order!

First reading Acts 8:5-8,14-17

Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.

  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Psalm                                                                         Psalm 65:1-7,16,20

Second reading                                                      1 Peter 3:15-18

Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who
ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with 
a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may
be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should
suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.
Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead
us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.

Gospel                                                                       John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.

I shall ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate

to be with you for ever,

that Spirit of truth

whom the world can never receive

since it neither sees nor knows him;

but you know him,

because he is with you, he is in you.

I will not leave you orphans;

I will come back to you.

In a short time the world will no longer see me;

but you will see me,

because I live and you will live.

On that day you will understand that I am in my Father

and you in me and I in you.

Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them

will be one who loves me;

and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I shall love him and show myself to him.’

Reflection by Benj Santiago

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

This is the 6^th Sunday after the Resurrection and next Sunday we will celebrate the Ascension Sunday and thus the readings seems to be the “huling habilin” The Jews have so many written laws that are derivatives of the 10 Commandments received by Moses which Jesus Christ summarized into the first two commandments which boils down to one word “Love”. Love of God, of self and others.

In the time of Jesus, people have long been waiting and searching for the face of God! They have been longing to see God the Father. So when Jesus revealed the truth that He is God and the Father is in Him, even His own family and friends failed to comprehend and see God in Him. They thought that He is just one of the prophets. Jesus reminds them in today’s Gospel that if we learn the commandments, and follow them in our daily life, He will reveal Himself to us. He also reminds us that if we love Him we love the Father. This is a sequel to last Sunday’s Gospel about Jesus being the Truth, and the Way, and the Life. He is the true God that we need to love, and believe in. Jesus is the manifestation of love that we need to follow so we can see God.

Loving God is easily professed but difficult to show to all the people you meet, especially those who irritate us. Even the people close to us at times is difficult to love. Thus, I really strive hard to love unconditionally. To love my wife and kids no matter what they are, and how they make me feel. For many weeks, my son does not go to Church with us.  He just stays home on a Sunday and dabble in computer and his games for so many hours. Normally I would be irritated and angry. But, I chose to love unconditionally. I just prayed and ask for more love and patience for my son. Now, he is going back to church and hear Mass.

Jesus has shown us how the Father love us by how much He love us. By His examples He is telling us to do same by following the commandments which is to love God above all and to love one another as He loves us.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, we thank You and we praise You! Thank You for your love that is everlasting. Give us a heart like Yours. Make us love You, and serve You by loving and serving our family, friends and everyone we meet in this life. Keep us focused on fulfilling Your commandments. Amen.