FAUSTI - Jesus left us to inheritance the command to love one another (C. 13). Here He goes further upstream: He says to love Himself. The aim of the Love is the reciprocity, for which one becomes life of the other. By loving Him, we become what He is; and we can love our brothers and sisters with His love, which is the same of the Father. Christianity is above all love for Jesus, who assimilates us to Him, the Son, giving us His love for the Father and for our brothers and sisters. Love is not only a feeling. It involves the whole person, giving her a new way of being. It informs her understanding, wanting and acting. Concretely one loves with facts and in truth. (1 Jn 3:18). Observing His commands is the condition for remaining in the covenant of the faithful God, who has loved, chosen and freed us. They can be observed as slaves in duty, as the older brother does (Lk 15,29), or for the love of children. For Jesus, the principle of observance is the love of a heart that is known to be loved, the new heart of the new covenant. The Spirit of Truth has dwelt among us in Jesus, the Son who lives Father's own Love towards us: in Him we have known and believed in the Love that God has for us. In a few hours, that Love which was "with" and " near " us will be "in us". This is the supreme gift that the Son communicates to us from the cross, where "everything is accomplished" and gives His Spirit. The disciples, with the death of Jesus, are not left orphans. On the contrary, they find their place near the Father, because they receive the same Love of the Son. His leaving is in reality His coming to us, even His being in us with His Spirit Who makes us children, in Communion with Him and with the Father. The world, which now does not see the Spirit of Truth in Jesus, will in a short time no longer see even Jesus. He will physically eliminate Him. The disciples will continue to see Him. But they will see Him in a new way: through the wounds of the hands and the side, which show His Love, source of joy and peace. Jesus has in Himself the Life that conquers death (11:25). Soon, when we will have taken Him and He will have given us Life, we will inherit the same Life that He has always lived. The life of the Beloved Son, who loves the Father and His brothers and sisters. On Easter day we will know that Jesus is in the Father, that loves Him and raises Him up, we will also know that we are in the Son, because He loved us and gave His Life for us; finally we will know that He is in us, because we love Him and observe His Words. Through the mutual immanence of us in the Son and of the Son in us, we know that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. In v. 15 Jesus says that whoever loves Him holds His commands, here He says that whoever holds His commands, loves Him. Love is the beginning and the end of observing His commands: if love makes us live like Him, we live like Him and it realizes love. The Father loves all men, even if they ignore Him and reject Him. But only he who loves the Son and observes His commands, has the Son within himself and experiences the Father's love for Him. Accepting the gratuitous love of the Father is the act of freedom that makes us what we are: children who love because they are loved.
FAUSTI - Jesus left us to inheritance the command to love one another (C. 13).
RispondiEliminaHere He goes further upstream: He says to love Himself.
The aim of the Love is the reciprocity, for which one becomes life of the other.
By loving Him, we become what He is; and we can love our brothers and sisters with His love, which is the same of the Father. Christianity is above all love for Jesus, who assimilates us to Him, the Son, giving us His love for the Father and for our brothers and sisters.
Love is not only a feeling. It involves the whole person, giving her a new way of being. It informs her understanding, wanting and acting.
Concretely one loves with facts and in truth. (1 Jn 3:18).
Observing His commands is the condition for remaining in the covenant of the faithful God, who has loved, chosen and freed us. They can be observed as slaves in duty, as the older brother does
(Lk 15,29), or for the love of children.
For Jesus, the principle of observance is the love of a heart that is known to be loved, the new heart of the new covenant. The Spirit of Truth has dwelt among us in Jesus, the Son who lives Father's own Love towards us: in Him we have known and believed in the Love that God has for us.
In a few hours, that Love which was "with" and " near " us will be "in us".
This is the supreme gift that the Son communicates to us from the cross, where "everything is accomplished" and gives His Spirit.
The disciples, with the death of Jesus, are not left orphans. On the contrary, they find their place near the Father, because they receive the same Love of the Son.
His leaving is in reality His coming to us, even His being in us with His Spirit Who makes us children, in Communion with Him and with the Father.
The world, which now does not see the Spirit of Truth in Jesus, will in a short time no longer see even Jesus. He will physically eliminate Him. The disciples will continue to see Him. But they will see Him in a new way: through the wounds of the hands and the side, which show His Love, source of joy and peace.
Jesus has in Himself the Life that conquers death (11:25). Soon, when we will have taken Him and He will have given us Life, we will inherit the same Life that He has always lived. The life of the Beloved Son, who loves the Father and His brothers and sisters. On Easter day we will know that Jesus is in the Father, that loves Him and raises Him up, we will also know that we are in the Son, because He loved us and gave His Life for us; finally we will know that He is in us, because we love Him and observe His Words.
Through the mutual immanence of us in the Son and of the Son in us, we know that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. In v. 15 Jesus says that whoever loves Him holds His commands, here He says that whoever holds His commands, loves Him.
Love is the beginning and the end of observing His commands: if love makes us live like Him, we live like Him and it realizes love.
The Father loves all men, even if they ignore Him and reject Him.
But only he who loves the Son and observes His commands, has the Son within himself and
experiences the Father's love for Him.
Accepting the gratuitous love of the Father is the act of freedom that makes us what we are:
children who love because they are loved.