Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Patricio de los Reyes – Liceo del Verbo Divine, Tacloban City
6th Sunday of Easter – B
On February 14, 1983, our newly ordained class was invited by Cardinal Sin to join him in celebrating a Mission-sending Mass at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral with other religious and lay missionaries. Cardinal Sin said that he had planned the Mass to be celebrated on Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love, because as missionaries we were sent to spread the love of Christ to the world.
First thing I realize is that I can only truly share the love of God to the world if I personally experience God’s love for me through Jesus Christ because I cannot share what I do not have.
Second is to do the commandments that Jesus gave to His disciples and to the Church, especially the commandments to love God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength and to love my neighbor the way I am loved by Christ.
To share God’s love to the world, I need to remain in God’s love and in Christ’s love. The only way to remain in Christ’s love is by doing all that He has commanded me to do.
There are many things happening in our country and in the world today that pose challenges to the commandments to love God or to be faithful to God and to love our neighbor. The recent discussions, mostly about young people, are among the challenges: those infected with HIV (from 15 to 30 years of age) and the LGBT being shunned and discriminated; the reality of casual sex seemingly tolerated by parents because we are ashamed to give sex education to the young; the indiscriminate killings of criminals and non-criminals; a government leadership that is full of anger and verbal abuses, and lawmakers who confuse the public about what laws are protecting who (death penalty excluding plunder).
How can I love them with Christian love? In spite of my conviction and belief that I can really love anyone, I am still challenged when it comes to the practical application and actualization of this love when I am confronted by angry, foul-mouthed, ill-mannered, intolerant, selfish and self-centered, hypocritical, murderous, and corrupt persons. I am still challenged to truly love with the love of Christ the poor, the sick, the prisoners, prostitutes, gays and lesbians, transgender, and all others who are different from me.
Yes, I am challenged by my own prejudice, greed, hatred, intolerance, indifference, my lack of forgiveness and compassion. I am challenged by my inadequacy, incapacity and my barriers. The love of Christ, the love of God has no barrier because from being slave I have been accepted by Christ as His friend.
The readiness to lay down my life for others is the most difficult challenge in my desire to love God and my neighbor. I continue to struggle in my efforts to accomplish the mission Cardinal Sin had given us – to spread the love of God to the world.
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