trasspass - Listening Faithfully

God’s Command To Love!

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Jesus said to his disciples: ⁹“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.“

Then Jesus said, ¹¹“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.”
John 15:9-12

SUNDAY REFLECTION

How true it is that as a child there is no greater knowledge than to know you are loved by God, your earthly family, and most especially your mother. Moms the world over for centuries have been the backbone of the household and for this sometimes thankless sacred duty, all they want in return is to know they are truly loved by their children and their families. Love… is oftentimes a word overused, and whose meaning is so understated. Love is a commandment, it is more than a word, it is more than a catch-all phrase we use in jest, and it is more than a feeling. Rather, Love is a commandment that good mothers exceedingly excel at!

In John 15:9-10 Jesus gives a perfect example of how we can stay within his good graces. As a leader, he does something which all good leaders do… he practiced what he preached! So Jesus through his own human experience brings attention to the fact that he has kept all his Father’s commandments and urges us to do the same… not from an authoritarian point of view but out of the deepest of concerns for our immortal soul! God wants all his children to be with Him in heaven above and not rotting in hell due to some bad decisions or lack of belief. Likewise, moms also want only the best things for their children like Jesus, coming from the deepest of concerns for our wellbeing and this deep want comes from the same bucket of love that God Himself has bestowed upon all His children.

Reflecting deeper on this I am reminded that my own mother taught me the same lessons about staying in God’s good graces through acts of love. My mother’s own human experience harkens back to her caring and nurturing nature where love rules over everything else and must come first in every action and every reaction. Was my mother perfect? No. Am I perfect? No. Is any mother perfect in their execution of parenting? No. But therein lies the beauty of love… we as human beings do not need to be perfect rather we need to be sincere in our love… loving others with fidelity. This comes in many forms most specifically through forgiveness of a trespass, reconciling after harsh and hurtful words, loving another so much that you would be willing to set them free to make their own mistakes, (as demonstrated by God daily), and to be willing to be sympathetic to another person’s pain. These examples only top a much longer list of examples where our mothers have exceeded in loving us every day of our lives and wholeheartedly deserve this day of celebration!

Guiding Question: Why do you think Jesus followed up his example with verse 15:11? “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete“

God’s Commandment to Love One Another

Taking a step back I think we need to humanize what we all face within these strange and scary times of COVID-19. Many people will not be able to travel and see their mothers on this special day, many people have suffered great losses as family members have passed due to this highly contagious disease, and there is the impulse to be short-tempered, impatient, willing to play to the fear-mongering and unneeded polarization of this issue. Our mothers who love us, cherish us, and who forgives every stupid thing we do and say should be within our collective hearts this Sunday. Just so you all understand exactly what I mean when I say, “Every Mother”, I mean every single woman on planet Earth who has given birth, adopted a child or has taken in children to raise as their very own, and “YES” even mothers who have personal demons and are overtaken with the various challenges humans can face. This COVID-19 should not define our love and supersede God’s commandment to love one another rather it should embolden our love for each other and especially the love we show to our moms. With that said, if we love every human being with fidelity as Jesus commanded then I tell you, my brothers and sisters, we would see a lot fewer enemies in this world, fewer threats, and more friends and allies to which we can conquer any challenge we humans face! So I say to you… love one another as God loves us!

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL AND PEACEFUL MOTHERS DAY!

LET US PRAY!

Lord, open my lips to praise your holy name. Cleanse my heart of worthless, evil, or distracting thoughts. Give me the wisdom and love necessary to pray with attention, reverence, and devotion. Father, let my prayer be heard in your presence, for it is offered through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CANTICLE OF MARY: ANT. I will ask the Father and He will give you another Paraclete to remain with you forever, alleluia.

For All Mothers:
That they be supported and encouraged in their special vocation of love for others;