How are we to love one another?

HOW WE ARE TO LOVE

Jn. 13:31-35

I am sure you have heard the question, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”  I don’t think in our country we are likely to have to face a trial for our Christian identity.   That was the case years ago and it is the case in some countries today.

What are the signs of being a committed Catholic?  I think we can enumerate going to Mass on Sundays, going regularly to Confession, possessing a Bible, adorning our walls with a crucifix, devotion to our Blessed Lady and possessing her rosary and love for the saints.  These are important things and should certainly be a part of every Catholic’s life, but there is much more.  In today’s Gospel Jesus gives us the distinctive mark of being a Christian when He said, “Everyone will know you are My disciples by the love you have for one another.”  Love therefore is the distinctive mark of His followers.  He also told us in today’s Gospel how we are to love one another.   “I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you.”  I would like to spend the rest of the homily examining these words of Jesus.

Love is not the exclusive domain of Christians.  There are people who have never heard of Christ and who know what it means to love and be loved.  Parents love their children and children love their parents.  Husbands love their wives and wives love their husbands.  Young people love one another and get married.  Friends treat each other with warmth and affection.  This kind of love is experienced by people all over the world.  So obviously Jesus had something more in mind when He told us to love one another.  He called it a new commandment.

There is of course nothing new about a commandment to love people.  The Jews had been doing this for centuries.  In the book of Leviticus, it is stated, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”  Sadly, when it came to interpreting the word ‘neighbour’ they narrowed it down to loving their fellow Jews. 

By the first century, there were even some Rabbis who were teaching, in the name of God, that “You should love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”  This was most certainly not Jesus’ thinking.  For Him neighbour was everyone, even your enemies.

Let us look at the words of Jesus again, “I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you.”  The new commandment involved the words ”just as I have loved you.”  That’s what made it new.  That is how we have to love everyone; as He has loved us.  How does Jesus love?  His love for us is unconditional.  That should be a great comfort to us.  Sometimes there are things we do that make us most unlovable. Yet, despite what we do Jesus can’t stop loving us.  Even if we make ourselves enemies of Christ, He still loves us.  When they nailed Him to the Cross and mocked Him, He still loved His enemies.  He prayed for them and made excuses for them, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  That is how we are to love our enemies.  Don’t we expect God to love us when we sin against Him?  Then why should we demand others to love us before we love them?  Jesus loves us just the way we are and we are to love others just the way they are.

Sometimes we tend to think of loving others in big ways.  Like Jesus loved us by dying on a Cross.  That is good but in so many cases our love for others is expressed in many small ways.  The Cross is the ultimate expression of His love, but it was not the only expression.  Long before the Cross Jesus demonstrated His love in many little thoughtful ways.  If we are to love as He did then we should show our love in small thoughtful ways and not just wait for the striking, dramatic occasions that seldom come.  The small thoughtful ways are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and prisoners.  These are the kind of questions Jesus will ask us on the day of Judgement.  Do these and we will reign with Him in Heaven.

Let us go back to our original question, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” 

Lord Jesus, You tell us that the answer depends on one thing, namely, love.  We are to love as You did, everyone, friend and foe.  No one is to be excluded.  It is that love that will make people know that we are Your disciples.

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