Love as Answer to Hatred

 Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 15, 2022

Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

(Jesus and his disciples)
To listen to my audio-video reflections on YouTube, please click on this link https://youtu.be/3UVySEJvOVQ

A dominant feeling of Easter is a sense of belonging to the person of Jesus. In fact, along with a sense of excitement which is pervading during the Easter Season, there is an encouragement to cling on to the person of Jesus. Moreover, there is no other person in the world who has caught the imagination of people so deeply and drawn to himself after his death so powerfully than the person of Jesus. It is all because of Easter. Therefore as we read the Word of God on this Sunday, we are invited once again to make a commitment to the person of Jesus with love. 

1. God chooses the right people at the right time

The first reading (Acts 14:21-27) drawn from the Acts of Apostles gives us a detailed journey of Sts Paul and Barnabas. They are on a life-transforming journey. Through them, God is “making all things new” around them. Every person who comes in contact with them are touched and transformed and converted to the faith of these disciples. Both Paul and Barnabas go through a lot of hardships but through prayer and fasting are able to see the growth of the Church and appoint elders who would take care of those little communities to remain in the steadfast love of the Lord. 

What is fascinating is the capacity of the disciples of the Word of God, both Paul and Barnabas in preaching the Gospel to various kinds of people and in different geographical locations. There is nothing that can stop them. Once a person has experienced a transformation nothing can deter the person from doing what he or she is intended to do. All the more God had gifted St Paul with an erudite intelligence, and flavour for languages as he came from three cultures: Hebrew, Greek and Latin. To continue God's work, God knows to choose the right people at the right time. 

2. Following in the footsteps of the Lord in his physical absence

The style of Jesus' functioning has always been communitarian. Since the start of his public ministry, Jesus selected a group of closely-knit disciples who would be with him, walk with him, teach with him, heal with him, eat with him and even suffer with him. All through his life, Jesus would teach and take special lessons to his disciples and even educate them by sending them on a mission of teaching, preaching healing and driving out demons. Jesus believed in the power of the community, the power of being together and working together. Being together is commitment, a sign of courage, endurance and strength. 

The early Christian communities continued to imitate what Jesus had followed and taught them. With the power of the spirit of the resurrection, the disciples now dispersed in different geographical locations continue to live what Jesus had taught them. The disciples of our Lord appoint elders (presbyters= priests), deacons and others to carry out the works of the community. The new Christian communities become the symbols of the reign of God. The disciples exhort, encourage, facilitate and even help them how to face calmly the difficulties. If we follow what our Lord has taught us then we are in the right path and our life in the community is taken care of. When we rely on ourselves and forget the power of the divine presence then we are doomed to fail. 

3. It is love that binds all our Christian communities

What is that aspect that guides the early church in spite of its origin in varied geographical locations? It is love. Just imagine yourself, the early church sprang up not in one fixed location but in different locations, when the apostles began to preach. They have to be bound together with one heart and with one soul. They have to grounded in love to be union with one heart and one mind. That is where this distinctive character of love comes in. Love is expressed in concrete service. Jesus' teachings are based on this foundation of love. By our love, we glorify the Father. And by our love, all peoples will know that we are His people, that He is our God. The early Christian communities were founded on this solid foundation. Because only love is credible and would keep the communities together. 

Jesus gives a beautiful commandment in today's Gospel reading: "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). All evil can be overcome by good, and all hatred can be overcome by love. When Jesus loved he did it generously, abundantly and magnanimously. There was no limit to loving someone. Jesus knew only love can win the world, men and women of this world. As the Psalm says: "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made" (Psalm 145:8–9). We must be conscious of this power of love. Only then can we think about how best to help ourselves in overcoming hatred and violence in us, in our families, in our communities, in our country and in our world. 

Questions for Reflections:

1. Jesus calls his disciples "little children." What is your experience of Jesus in your life?
2. Jesus wants you to experience everything. Yet he says  “Where I am going, you cannot come”? Confused? Heartbroken? Abandoned? Curious maybe…
3. What does it mean to you this new commandment of love?

Prayer: 

Almighty God, thank you for the work my hand may find this day. May I find gladness in all its toil and difficulty, its pleasure and success, and even in its failure and sorrow. I would look always away from myself, and behold the glory and the need of the world, that I may have the will and the strength to bring the gift of gladness to others; that with them I stand to bear the burden and heat of the day and offer you my work, as well as I may accomplish it, in your praise. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy name, Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

May 13, 2022