God is love

Sixth Week of Easter

Collect

Grant, almighty God, that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy, which we keep in honour of the risen Lord, and that what we relive in remembrance we may always hold to in what we do. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
   and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
   “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”

Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
   “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
   is acceptable to him.”

While Peter was still speaking these things,
   the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
   were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
   should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
   for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
   “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
   who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?”
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. :

℟. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
℟. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
   for he has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won victory for him,
   his holy arm.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
℟. Alleluia.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
   in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
   toward the house of Israel.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
℟. Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth have seen
   the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
   break into song; sing praise.

℟. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
℟. Alleluia.

1 Jn 4:7-10

God is love.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John

Beloved, let us love one another,
   because love is of God;
   everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
   God sent his only Son into the world
   so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
   not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
   and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Jn 14:23

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord.
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jn 15:9-17

No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
   just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
   and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
   and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
   to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
   because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
   because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
   and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
   so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

Reflection

Today’s discourse continues on from that of the Gardener, the vine and the branches which we read last week. But now Jesus does not continue to speak in metaphors but refers to himself as the Son who is one with the Father while also encouraging us to have the same intimacy as himself with the Father.

The intimate bond of love (and obedience) between the Father, the Son and us is like a chain of love. Each link is not simply fixed to the other but is entwined with the other. The love of the Father is in the Son…as the love of the Son is in the Father, the fullness of this love is found in Jesus’ obedience even unto death on the cross. Because truly, there is no greater love than that in which one gives his life for his friends.

In this final discourse, Jesus is giving us a taste of this same love. His link is entwined with our link through the love he and the Father have for us by which he gave his life in dying for us. And by the same token, our link remains entwined with Jesus’ (and the Father’s), through the same love that offers itself in obedience, so that we also truly become He whom we receive (Jesus in the Eucharist). Therefore, we will experience the fullness of joy because this union does not allow us to remain servants who do not know what the Master is doing but transforms us into friends…or for a better word transforms us into lovers (philoi) of God. Love, obedience and joyfulness are all entwined like links in a chain. They are united as one because they are the origin and result of each other. This is why it is one chain…bound as one.

And, as we are loved, Jesus commands us to love: “Love one another. As I have loved you” …in the same way, with the same measure, and the same self-giving. Because true love – that which comes from the Father – finds its fullness in the obedience of Jesus to death on the cross, so that we may have joy, and joy to the full.

Prayer

Jesus, as a child in the womb is one with its mother, so I wish to become one with you. I did not choose you. You chose me and you continue to choose me every day, even though you know me as I truly am, and you know how easily I can stray from you. A link itself does not bear fruit. I know this personally through experience. But united with you and with the Father my heart finds rest.
Help me to learn to love with the same love that I experienced from you.
Help me to show this love through obedience especially when I don’t understand you.
So that You and I become lovers and then I will truly experience your joy in me.
Amen.

Ara l-Qari tal-Ħdud li għaddew