Posted by The WORD in other words (2023) by Fr Rogelio Bag-ao SVD – Cebu City
6th Sunday of Easter / A
The ultimate measure of our love for God is our ability to obey God’s commandments. Jesus himself summarized the commandments as love of God and love of neighbor. This has been illustrated in the parables of Jesus, such as the parable of the good Samaritan.
God did not simply give us this commandment of love for us to follow, but he also sent us the Holy Spirit, the enabler, so that we can fulfill what God wants us to be. The Holy Spirit helps us discern how to express this commandment of love in different contexts.
Our present contexts impel us to care for our environment as we experience different forms of calamities due to climate change. The typhoons that devastated parts of the country send a clear message that we have to do something for our environment to mitigate the global warming that brings stronger typhoons which might do greater damage in the future. What is lamentable is that the poor always experience greater damage and loss in every calamity.
In his Laudato Si exhortation, Pope Francis reminds us that to care for the environment, which is our common home, is tantamount to loving our fellowmen not only in this generation but even the next ones.
This we can do if we genuinely love God and follow his commandments. May we remain in his love today and tomorrow.
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