"I give you a new commandment," Jesus said, "love others as I have loved you." "Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other."
With these words Jesus tells His apostles the way—the only and most excellent way--to love. Having been with Him for three years they witnessed how He loved them; though it wouldn't be until after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they would comprehend with greater fullness the depth and breadth of the love of Christ.
Like them, we have been witnesses to God's love through His Son's example and the direct and powerful goodness manifested in the love that others have born for us and in the opportunities He has given to us to be Love for one another.
The Gospel takes us back to Jesus' farewell address at the Last Supper. He's trying to prepare His apostles for His imminent arrest, with all its gruesome torture and crucifixion. When Jesus tells them that where He's going, they cannot come, they're frightened beyond belief. On top of everything, Jesus imposes on them a "new" commandment—that they love one another. Not just Jews, but everyone.
We have just as much trouble today in accepting this commandment as the apostles did. After all, how can we be expected to love those who hate life and try to destroy it in the name of “tolerance”? How can we love those who trod roughshod over our values? With love, we can conquer our fears, our prejudices and overcome our inertia in solving many of our world's problems.
Jesus says, I command that you love, because it's a gift I have given you, and you have the power in your heart to share it. If you expect anything in return, that’s a “business relationship”. As Our Holy Father said recently, God can command that we love, because He has already given it to us. If we don't love others, then we don't really love God either.
How can love be commanded? Isn't love just a feeling? Shouldn’t we expect or demand that our love be returned? I submit when we look for a "return" on our "love investment", it becomes a "business arrangement"--one that lends itself to arguments, broken deals, betrayals, and eventually the polar opposite of love, hatred.
I had a young woman (in her late teens, I would guess) ask me today, “How long have you been married?” (I guess she saw my wedding ring and that prompted the question.) When I replied that my wife and I have been married for 35 years this year, she was dumbfounded! She asked, “Why have you stayed with the same woman for so long?” After my initial shock that anyone would ask the question that way, then realizing it’s the sad state of morals in our age I replied quickly and succinctly, “Because I love her!” Then she asked me what did I think kept the marriage strong. Without hesitation I said, “Love and respect for one another, for our families, and for our values." She actually thought that was a “cute and funny, but not realistic (?!) attitude to have”! I think my rosary will be for that young woman and her family tonight, and that she learns to “take a risk" on loving people for who and what they are—children of God, made in His image, equal in dignity and stature.
Taking the risk of loving all people can delight us, and free us from our fears, prejudices and hate.
Let us not waste the chances that God gives us to love as He has loved. It means doing little things joyfully, carefully with the intent on being just as Jesus would be.
Loving as Jesus, or doing as Jesus, is not a trite little contemporary phrase or one that is meant to be tossed about lightly, but a thought-provoking challenge to imitate Jesus who we love and who first and forever has loved us.
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