Love One Another (Friday, Week 32, Year 2)

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We are in the last days of the Church’s year; and as always arranged, the Church rolls out readings that help us think about the last days. During this time, we will read more of the end-time passages of the Scripture. The readings of this period should not evoke fear in us but should instill in us some hope and a sense of preparedness. But we must not forget that the Bible never revealed when the end time would be. In fact, in Matt. 24:36, Christ says, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. However, it is enough for us to be reminded that the end will come. When a student is reminded that the semester is coming to an end and the time for exam is close, if the student does not sit up, he or she will most likely fail. Thus, we are being reminded of all these so that we take our Christian commitment more seriously. In the first reading, John tells us that the overall commitment we have: the commitment to love: we are to show our love for God by keeping God’s commandment. And what is His commandment: that we should LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

You see! One thing about love is that it cannot be hidden. If one truly loves, it must be seen and known. When people are in love, they must express it in one way or the other. They can’t keep it to themselves. Genuine love must be expressed not only verbally but in concrete actions. In a like manner, if we profess that we love God, it cannot just remain at the level of verbal expression of our love for him. By concrete actions, we must show that we love God. How can this be done? St John tells us that we show our love for God by keeping his commandment and His commandment is that “we love one another”. 

The most laudable act of love that we can perform is to give ourselves for others. It is not something new that it can’t be done. Christ did it for us; and we must follow in his footsteps if we really understand our state as followers of Christ. It is good that we are reminded during these last days of the Church that love is what really matters. How much or how often we have loved may be the only ticket to heaven that would be required of us on that day. As we stand before the judgment seat of God on that day, let us not be surprised to hear those words of Christ in Matt. 25:35-40: “When I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, when I needed clothes, when I was sick and in prison, these are what you did”. Brothers and sisters, our time on earth is short. And we can’t continue to waste the little time we have hating and discriminating against people we do not like. We must strive to use the remaining time we have to concentrate on love, the greatest of all commandments: not just loving those close to us but loving those we can’t ordinarily love. For love to be true and genuine, it must be sacrificial and unconditional. If it is not sacrificial, it is no love. 



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