6th Sunday of Easter, Year A
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus reminds us of the foundation of our call to discipleship with these words to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments… 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.” Love is the center of our lives as Christians, and love is the center of everything we do as Christians. The story of the creation of man is an act of love from the Father. The story of our redemption through the death and resurrection of Christ, is an act of love. The story of our sanctification and illumination by the Holy Spirit, is an act of love. The Church and its Sacraments exemplify God’s love for us, and His duty to bring, and keep us closer to Himself. In Baptism, we are made God’s children and co-heirs of His kingdom in heaven. In Holy Communion, we are nourished with His body and blood, to strengthen us in our daily battle with sin and satan. In Confirmation, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to illumine, enlighten and fortify us to go out, and proclaim and live out the gospel of Christ as His soldiers. In Confession, our sins are absolved and forgiven, and we are reconciled with God once again. Through the Anointing of the Sick, we are healed of our physical infirmities. Through Matrimony, we exemplify God’s love in our love and service to our spouses and children. Through Holy Orders, we exemplify God’s love in our service to God and the Church. As you can see, everything we do as Catholic Christians, is centered on love of God and his people, as emphasized by Jesus in today’s gospel reading. So, do you really love God? Do keeping His commandments as urged us by Jesus today? And how do you show this love for God today as a Catholic Christian in the world? My brothers and sisters, all that is required of us in order to love God better, is to obey His commandments, as Jesus emphasized in the gospel reading. But let us not forget that obedience to God entails, hearing and listening to Him through the teachings of the Church and the Scriptures; accepting His Word, not some of them, but all God’s Word; and putting His Word into practice, which involves sharing God’s love by loving our neighbors, in answer to our call to discipleship.
