FAUSTI - To dwell in His Love, one must observe His commands which are reduced to one: fraternal love, which is halved until it is reciprocal. The Love that Jesus showed to us on the Cross is the source of our love for others: one can love if and how he is loved. Just as Jesus dwelt in the Love of the Father, loving His brothers and sisters, so we dwell in His Love of Son, doing as much. The command to love God becomes the command to love man. In fact, love for God and love for man are a single reality, just as the love of the Son for the Father and for us is the same Love of the Father for the Son and for us. Love is One; it is God. And it puts everyone in communion. We speak of love for one another. For love is joy only in reciprocity. This has always been in God; we are called to have it among ourselves, making God present on earth. The apex of love is in placing one's life on behalf of the beloved. Jesus considers us friends. Even when we were His enemies, traitors like Judas or renegades like Peter, He has shown us His Love, gratuitous and indubitable. That's right, from enemies that we were, we can become His friends. Jesus is always and everywhere our friend. In turn, we too are His friends, if we respond to His love, doing as He did. "I no longer call you servants": "Servant" is an honorary title. Servants of the king are the greats of the court, servants of God are the prophets and the righteous. The servant does the will of his Lord, but with a relationship of subjection, not equality. Jesus does not want servants, but friends, equal to Him. In fact, we are not subjected to the Law, but we live in the freedom of beloved children. If Moses gave us the Law, from the fullness of the Word become flesh, we receive grace upon grace; the grace of the Truth of the Son, who puts us in communion with the Father. We have been chosen not to be servants, but friends of God, united to Him in the one Love. Our vocation is sure, because it is "His", it is He who chooses us and calls us. And His choice is irrevocable, a proof of betrayal and denial. Here we do not speak of the choice of the twelve and their sending on mission, but of the present and future disciples, who must go where Jesus Himself went: towards the fullness of the Father's Love, loving the brothers and sisters to the point of placing the live at their service. This is the much fruit that glorifies the Father. It is that "much fruit" that the Son Himself will bear when giving His life for His brothers and sisters, will draw everyone to Himself. This is the fundamental mission of the Church, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, (Mt 5:13...) and the perfume of Christ for all (2 Cor 2:14). Seeing how the disciples live, they all find what they desire in the depths of their hearts: the beauty of Love that saves the world. Mission is not propaganda, but the radiance of mutual love, which attracts everyone to itself. That God Whom no one has ever seen, we have seen in the face of the Son, who said: "He who has seen me has seen the Father". Others see Him in our faces as brothers. This fruit makes us dwell in the Son and in the Father as it makes the Son and the Father dwell in us. If we are in the Son, we know that the Father always listens to us as He listens in Him. That is why we ask Him for everything we need to live as children. This is what we ask to the Father in the name of the Son: His own love for brothers and sisters. Beyond this Love there is nothing more, if not still Love, which is infinite. For "God is Love" and "Whoever lives in love dwells in God and God dwells in him" (1 Jn 4:16).
FAUSTI - To dwell in His Love, one must observe His commands which are reduced to
RispondiEliminaone: fraternal love, which is halved until it is reciprocal.
The Love that Jesus showed to us on the Cross is the source of our love for others: one can love if and how he is loved.
Just as Jesus dwelt in the Love of the Father, loving His brothers and sisters, so we dwell in His Love of Son, doing as much.
The command to love God becomes the command to love man. In fact, love for God and love for man are a single reality, just as the love of the Son for the Father and for us is the same Love of the Father for the Son and for us.
Love is One; it is God. And it puts everyone in communion.
We speak of love for one another.
For love is joy only in reciprocity. This has always been in God; we are called to have it among ourselves, making God present on earth.
The apex of love is in placing one's life on behalf of the beloved.
Jesus considers us friends. Even when we were His enemies, traitors like Judas or renegades like Peter, He has shown us His Love, gratuitous and indubitable.
That's right, from enemies that we were, we can become His friends. Jesus is always and everywhere our friend. In turn, we too are His friends, if we respond to His love, doing as He did.
"I no longer call you servants": "Servant" is an honorary title.
Servants of the king are the greats of the court, servants of God are the prophets and the righteous.
The servant does the will of his Lord, but with a relationship of subjection, not equality.
Jesus does not want servants, but friends, equal to Him.
In fact, we are not subjected to the Law, but we live in the freedom of beloved children.
If Moses gave us the Law, from the fullness of the Word become flesh, we receive grace upon grace;
the grace of the Truth of the Son, who puts us in communion with the Father. We have been chosen not to be servants, but friends of God, united to Him in the one Love.
Our vocation is sure, because it is "His", it is He who chooses us and calls us.
And His choice is irrevocable, a proof of betrayal and denial.
Here we do not speak of the choice of the twelve and their sending on mission, but of the present and future disciples, who must go where Jesus Himself went: towards the fullness of the Father's Love, loving the brothers and sisters to the point of placing the live at their service.
This is the much fruit that glorifies the Father.
It is that "much fruit" that the Son Himself will bear when giving His life for His brothers and sisters,
will draw everyone to Himself.
This is the fundamental mission of the Church, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, (Mt 5:13...)
and the perfume of Christ for all (2 Cor 2:14).
Seeing how the disciples live, they all find what they desire in the depths of their hearts:
the beauty of Love that saves the world.
Mission is not propaganda, but the radiance of mutual love, which attracts everyone to itself.
That God Whom no one has ever seen, we have seen in the face of the Son, who said: "He who has seen me has seen the Father". Others see Him in our faces as brothers.
This fruit makes us dwell in the Son and in the Father as it makes the Son and the Father dwell in us.
If we are in the Son, we know that the Father always listens to us as He listens in Him. That is why we ask Him for everything we need to live as children.
This is what we ask to the Father in the name of the Son: His own love for brothers and sisters.
Beyond this Love there is nothing more, if not still Love, which is infinite.
For "God is Love" and "Whoever lives in love dwells in God and God dwells in him" (1 Jn 4:16).