Dear Friends:
The Gospel today is from John 15:9-17. Anyone who knows Jesus, including us of this modern age, know that a relationship must be a two-way relationship. I think we also realize that with any good relationship there are rules, written or at least understood. We’ve all heard the words: I really love you but when you do this or that it becomes harder for us to do so. This can be a relationship between friends, relatives, husbands and wives, parents and children.
Today Jesus tells us through John, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remained in his love.” There we have an example of not only unconditional love but also a condition of that love. The condition is to keep God’s commandments. We all know that the greatest commandment God gave us was to love him and our neighbor. If we keep the greatest commandment, we will have no trouble following the others. They will become natural to us, an actual part of our lives.
In our second reading from 1 John 4:7-10, John tells us “Beloved, let us love one another because God is of love; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.” I think this line from 1st John really takes the message home. We should all be concentrating on learning how to love. To love as God loves is one of the greatest gifts he has given us!
Why not spend a few moments today thinking about how we can learn to love those who may stretch us or make love difficult? Then let’s ask God to show us how to love that person.
Peace and All Good! Deacon Jim
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