At the heart of a disciple's life

Five weeks into the Easter season, the gospel reminds us of the key position of love in the life of every disciple of Jesus.

Radical disciples

On Friday evening of this past week, Jews throughout the world began the annual observance of the Passover: the week-long festival during which they remember the Lord’s call to Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt, through the waters of the Red Sea and into the promised land.  Every year, Jewish families gather during this week to commemorate this pivotal moment in their faith history.

Five weeks into the Easter season, today’s gospel brings our focus back to the Upper Room, to that night when Jesus and his disciples were also beginning their observance of the Passover.  Gathered in that room, in the midst of sharing a meal, Jesus knew that his time was limited, and still he was teaching his disciples.  The subject of his lesson was perhaps the most important wisdom that he could share: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another (Jn 13:34).  Love was at the centre of the relationship Jesus had with each of his disciples.  Love, demonstrated in acts of mercy, is the key to the power that Jesus still entrusts to his disciples today.

The power of love is so persuasive that it became the key to the message that has been proclaimed by all of Jesus' disciples ever since.  Love was the message that Paul and his companion Barnabas took with them and proclaimed to all those they met, throughout Greece and into modern-day Turkey (Acts 14:21-27).  Love is the cornerstone of the new heaven and the new earth (cf Rev 21:1) that John witnessed in his vision. Love was the gift that God wanted to share with his people when he sent his Son to create the home of God among humans (Rev 21:3).  Even today, love is the secret to the message that the Church proclaims: the key to the mercy that we must embody in the relationships we cultivate with our brothers and sisters.

This morning in Saint Peter's Square, Pope Francis met with thousands and thousands of boys and girls who had gathered in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee of Children.  Having heard the words Jesus spoke to his disciples in today's gospel, the Holy Father told the children that love is the Christian's best identification card.  Love is the gift that distinguishes Jesus' disciples from all other people.  This is the reason why the Church continues to focus our efforts on seeking out love in all its forms and celebrating Christ's love wherever and whenever it is found.

A little more than two years ago, Pope Francis asked us to identify the challenges facing the institution of Marriage, the icon of love that is shared between a man and a woman.  In preparation for a special meeting of Bishops which was held in October 2014, a questionnaire was circulated to all dioceses throughout the world.  Through this series of questions, the Pope was asking for those who are happy in marriage and those who are not to share their wisdom with him.  The results of the consultation were gathered and presented in Rome during the Extra-ordinary Synod that discussed the pastoral challenges facing the family in the context of evangelization.

One year later, in October 2015, love was once again the subject of conversation during the Ordinary Synod that considered the vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the world.  As a result of these discussions, Pope Francis has recently published a new document that speaks about love as it is lived in the context of modern-day families.

This document is part of the ongoing efforts of the Church to proclaim the message that we ourselves have received from the Lord: Love one another as I have loved you (Jn 13:34).  Love has always been at the heart of the radical message that God shares with us.  Love is still at the heart of the radical message that God challenges each of us to share with others.  Love has the power to change lives, to make us more aware of the many ways that God invites us to be present to those in our world who need our help.  The question is, are we willing to accept the challenge to love others as our God has first loved us?  If we can answer yes, then we have begun to understand the truth of the Easter miracle.