A call for disciples to love

Here is the text of the homily I shared with those who came to pray with us this weekend, the Sixth Sunday of the Easter Season: some thoughts about how to fulfill Jesus command to love one another as he has loved us.

Abide in my love

During the liturgical season of Easter, we have a privileged opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus, along with the disciples, and to learn from him the art of walking in his footsteps.   Six weeks into our journey, we find Jesus in today’s gospel passage speaking with the disciples, telling us all: As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love (Jn 15:9).  These are the words that we might hear from the lips of a teacher who is addressing a class of beloved students, a class whose time with this teacher is drawing to a close.  These are the words of a wise teacher who has tried his very best to equip his students for the road that lies ahead.  Every one of the lessons he taught can be boiled down to this: love one another as I have loved you (Jn 15:12).

Ever since Jesus uttered those words, we, his disciples have been trying to live by them.  Loving one another is the task that each of us strives to accomplish, but loving one another is not easy.  Striving to love one another does not mean that we must convince others to think as we think, or to like the same things that we like.  That would be an immature understanding of the concept.  Instead, Jesus calls us to a mature understanding of love and so we must not pray for the day when we will all think alike, but rather for the day when we will be able to appreciate the gifts that each person offers.  We must not pray for the time when all people will like or appreciate the same things as we ourselves like, but rather for the day when we will realize that each one of us has been chosen by Jesus (cf Jn 15:16), numbered among his friends, trusted by Jesus and appointed to go out into the world to bear fruit, fruit that will last.

The fruit of which Jesus speaks was witnessed by Cornelius, the centurion who met Peter and listened attentively as he heard him speak about Jesus’ call for all people to do what is right and acceptable (cf Acts 10:34-35) and the apostle John in turn repeated the words of Jesus as he encouraged his listeners: let us love one another, because love is from God (1 Jn 4:7).  Even today, Jesus urges us to love one another.  In order to do this, we must first get to know about one another and actively seek out opportunities to go beyond ourselves so that we can help each other to come to believe that we are loved.  Let me give you two concrete examples of how this can happen.

Two weeks ago, a devastating earthquake struck Nepal.  News of this tragedy spread around the world and people watched from near and far as the full effect came to be known.  More than 7,000 people have been confirmed dead, and many thousands of others are now homeless and in need of help.  For the past week or so, people have been asking me if there is a way that we can help.  The answer is yes.   There are two ways that we can put our love for these brothers and sisters of ours into action: FIRST, donations can be made here in the parish until next weekend.  Cheques can be made payable to the parish and placed in a plain envelope marked Nepal earthquake donation.  Please include your name, address and envelope number so that we can be sure to provide an official receipt for tax purposes.  SECOND, donations can also be made online at www.devp.org.

The second example of love is much closer to home.  On Sunday, May 24, there will be a special opportunity to participate in an Indigenous celebration and to learn about the contributions of our indigenous peoples to the life of our diocese and to experience their unique expressions of spirituality.  Events planned for that day include a Sunrise ceremony which will take place on the grounds of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, a Mass which will be celebrated in the Motherhouse chapel, Teachings about various aspects of Indigenous spirituality and a potluck feast.  More information about this wonderful opportunity to learn the stories of some of our brothers and sisters, who live side by side with us, can be found in the bulletins this weekend.  As we come to know one another, Jesus assures us that the will also help us to love one another as he has loved us.  

Today, we celebrate Mothers' Day.  Our mothers have a special gift for teaching us about the gift of love.  Thank you to all of our mothers for modelling for us the unconditional love of the Father.  When we are happy, it helps us to share in the successes and joys of others; when we are disheartened, it helps us to remember that even the deepest hurt cannot isolate us from others who want to hold us, cherish us and share in our pain.  Happy Mothers' Day to all our mothers, and thank you for all that you do to embody the gift of love in our midst.