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.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas. They realized it, and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form.” They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,” because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to John 14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
The words of the Popes Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). So, love introduces us to the knowledge of Jesus, thanks to the action of this “Advocate” that Jesus sent, that is, the Holy Spirit. Love for God and neighbour is the greatest commandment of the Gospel. The Lord today calls us to respond generously to the Gospel’s call to love, placing God at the centre of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need of support and consolation. If ever there is an attitude that is never easy, even for a Christian community, it is precisely how to love oneself, to love after the Lord’s example and with his grace. (…) We have to learn the art of loving every day. Listen to this: every day we must learn the art of loving; every day we must patiently follow the school of Christ. Every day we must forgive and look to Jesus, and do this with the help of this “Advocate”, of this Counsellor whom Jesus has sent to us that is the Holy Spirit. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 21 May 2017)
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.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
RispondiEliminaActs 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.”
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
“The gods have come down to us in human form.”
They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,”
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
“Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to John
14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name --
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”
The words of the Popes
Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). So, love introduces us to the knowledge of Jesus, thanks to the action of this “Advocate” that Jesus sent, that is, the Holy Spirit. Love for God and neighbour is the greatest commandment of the Gospel. The Lord today calls us to respond generously to the Gospel’s call to love, placing God at the centre of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need of support and consolation. If ever there is an attitude that is never easy, even for a Christian community, it is precisely how to love oneself, to love after the Lord’s example and with his grace. (…) We have to learn the art of loving every day. Listen to this: every day we must learn the art of loving; every day we must patiently follow the school of Christ. Every day we must forgive and look to Jesus, and do this with the help of this “Advocate”, of this Counsellor whom Jesus has sent to us that is the Holy Spirit. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 21 May 2017)