THE WAY OF BEING GOD

First Reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Second Reading: 1 Jn 4:7-10
Gospel: Jn 15:9-17

Dear Brethren in Jesus Christ we are in the sixth Sunday of Easter season. As we are getting closer to the feast of Pentecost the readings of today serve as a preparation for it, just as Jesus had prepared His disciples by telling them about the Holy Spirit before His departure from the world. In the first reading we witness the outpouring of Holy Spirit upon gentiles. This extraordinary event at the house of Cornelius, the centurion, a commander in the Italian regiment of the Roman military is an eye opener for Peter and company especially the Jews converts who till then understood that the grace of Jesus Christ is reserved only for the circumcised. Peter declares that he cannot forbid baptism to them as God is at work in them. Similar declaration had happened earlier in the Acts of the Apostles at Sanhedrin through Gamaliel, when he said that if God is at work in these uneducated men – the apostles – then we cannot do anything to stop it (Acts 5:39). Prior to that Jews at Capernaum belittled the divine power of Jesus on the basis that He is a son of a carpenter. Anything new that is emerging, anything new that go against the normal human logic is always met with rejection, hatred and contempt. Thus, the Jews convert first show reluctance to accept the divine power at work among the gentiles. The working of the Spirit in least expected places and in unknown persons have always brought newness to the Church. Here one can think of St. Theresa of Lisieux, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Faustina, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and many more. It is from these unrecognized persons God worked extraordinary things to bring light and give rise to new dimensions to the Church. However, at first they all faced rejection and discontentment. Today we too show reluctance to accept anything that emerges new in the Church. We need to remember that the Church is animated by the Spirit, who is not static but dynamic. Catholicism is never a finished product, rather it is ever evolving. We need to see whether we are also like peter and company upon encountering newness in the Church.

The second and Gospel readings present to us about the being of God. In Christianity love is the hallmark, not in as much as love is the highest virtue than love as a way of being God. St. John affirms that where there is love, there is God. Without love one cannot contain God (1 Jn 4:7-10). Love involves the giver and the receiver. It is out of love that God created us. It is out of love He offers us redemption. The act of Jesus in Incarnation is the manifestation of His love towards the Father. Jesus upon receiving the love of His Father, returned that same love to Him through His obedience to the will of the Father. Jesus’ obedience to the will of the Father sustains Him in the love of the Father. Similarly, we who have received the love of God through Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation may remain in that love if only we keep the commandments of God. Yes, the love is proposed and given, but it is up to the receiver to decide whether one can accept that and do the necessary to sustain in that freely given or received love.

Jesus calls us friends because we are not related to Him as strangers. Friend is the one who does everything out of love, without any expectation. The slave is stranger to his/her master. The commitment of the slave towards one’s master is conditioned by the wage the slave receives. Contrarily, the commitment of a friend is to respond in the time of need. The ancient proverb says, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Yes, the rescue of humanity at right time by Jesus is an act of friendship. He is really a friend indeed! We are called to imitate Him in our love towards other, no matter how the recipient of our love is. Just love the other unconditionally. This is what it means to love the other, just as Jesus has loved us. The recipient of one’s love has just one condition to sustain in that love. That is to keep the good wish of the giver of love. Thus, if we want to remain in the love of God we need to keep the wish – the commandments – of God. The door of friendship is opened to us by God, it depends on us respond and consummate it. In doing so, we partake in the way of being God – for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God… for GOD IS LOVE (1 Jn 4:7-8). Love, love and love.

Finally, Open yourself to the newness of the Spirit and commit yourself to the unconditional friendship. So that you may LOVE, be LOVED and remain IN LOVE. Happy Sunday!


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