Fr Marco Lazzaron
n this Sunday’s readings, the theme of love is clear and central. John, in his Letter, reveals that “God is Love”. Among the many definitions of God (the most perfect being, the unmoved mover, etc.), this is certainly the most singular and consoling. However, he adds: “He who does not love has not known God”. Only those who love can know God because he loved us first, with a love without measure, giving us his Son who offered himself as “a victim of expiation for our sins”. Prayer, Mass, the Eucharistic Adoration, and the Rosary must serve to make us grow in charity.
Jesus says in the Gospel: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Stay in my love”. Since there is shared love between Father and Son and the Son loves us, we must feel involved. If the Father loves the Son and the Son loves us, we too must love one another. Jesus also says: “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full”. But what is joy? Joy comes from love, from feeling loved, and from loving in return.
Jesus adds: “I no longer call you servants, because the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father”. We often think that the love of friendship is less deep and true, less important. True friendship, however, often arises from a more refined and lofty love; generates relationships of freedom, respect, and sharing. Every genuine love should be colored with friendship to become more authentic and profound, even between people of the same family.
True love is not just something romantic and poetic. True love, at times, also requires sacrifice. Jesus says: “No one has a greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. Jesus is certainly thinking of himself, who will soon give himself up to the most atrocious suffering to demonstrate his love without measure.
We can draw from this love, the strength to love God, our neighbor, our children, our parents, our colleagues, our spouse, and those around us, and to obtain forgiveness every time we have failed to do so because as St Peter says: “Above all things have fervent love for one another for love will cover a multitude of sins”. May this Sunday help us to continue doing good works, in loving God, our neighbours, and ourselves so that the light of Christ may shine and endure in our society and in the world. Amen.