“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
John 15:9-17
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.”
Why is it that we are “commanded” to love? Wouldn’t it be better if we were invited to love others? Isn’t it true that no one can make us love another person? And if we love out of duty are we really loving at all?
There have been any number of people in my life that I personally have not liked to be around. Over the years, however, I have discovered that my life is about more than getting along, or obtaining what I want, or experiencing pleasant circumstances.
As a Christian, my life is no longer my own. I have been given the grace to experience the absolute love of God poured out on me in the sacrament of baptism and the only response to that overwhelming and limitless gift of God’s love and grace is to return love for love in as complete a manner as possible. As I put on the Lord Jesus, and I actualize his utter selfless loving here and now in whatever situation I find myself in through my own faltering attempts to love another, I keep the one command I have been given by Jesus at the Last Supper: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” No, it is not a suggestion, if I feel like it, if it works out, or if it is to my benefit. That is not the way Jesus loved us and is not the way he commands that we love one another.
I will love you, I can say even as I wrestle within a relationship, but I may not agree with you.
I will love you, even though I don’t really prefer being around you.
I will love you, even though I will take steps to protect myself from your behaviors.
I will love you because Jesus has loved me and because Jesus loves you.
Love gives meaning to all the other commandments.
Love gives meaning to every suffering.
The power of love alone can give ultimate direction even to the hard realism of economics and politics and social strife and issues of social injustice and disparity. Love alone can break these open so they serve the world in charity.
Just before his death, Jesus talked about love, unity, friendship, glory, and joy, that the love the Father has for Jesus may be in us and that Jesus may be in us. If we focus on love, all else will follow. Love will lead us to unity and glory and joy, as Jesus is in us and we in him so that we may be brought to complete unity.
This love is the bedrock of our Christian life. If we miss this we have missed everything. The “command” should make it really stand out to us so that we keep this front and center in our journey to becoming and loving like Christ.
Image: Christian R. Rodríguez via Cathopic
Praying with this Passage of Scripture
Lectio Divina is a way of listening to God as he speaks in his Word. It is a practice of communicating with God through Scripture and attending to God’s presence and what he wishes to tell us. In this slow and prayerful reading of the Word of God, we allow ourselves to be transformed by the Spirit who forms us into the image of Christ. There are four movements in Lectio Divina: Read (lectio), Meditate (meditation), Pray (oratio), Contemplate (contemplation).
Begin by finding a still space to pray. Breathe deeply and become quieter within. Abandon any agenda, worries or thoughts you bring to this prayer and entrust these things to the merciful care of God. Ask for the grace to be receptive to what God will speak to you through this Scripture reading. Grant me, Jesus Divine Master, to be able to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God and your unfathomable riches. Grant that your word penetrate my soul; guide my steps, and brighten my way till the day dawns and darkness dissipates, you who live and reign forever and ever Amen.
Read (lectio)
Begin by slowly and meditatively reading your Scripture passage out loud. Listen for a particular word or phrase that speaks to you at this moment and sit with it for a time.
Pray (oratio)
Read the text a third time. Listen for what God is saying to you. Speak heart to heart with God. Notice the feelings that this conversation with God raises up within you. Share with God what you notice about your response to this conversation. You may wish to return to repeating the phrase quietly and gently, allowing it to permeate you more and more deeply.
Contemplate (contemplatio)
Read the text a final time. Now be still and rest in God’s embrace. Ask God to give you a gift to take with you from this prayer. You might ask God if he is inviting you to do some action, for instance, make some change in your thoughts, attitudes or reactions, in the way you speak or how you treat others. Thank God for this gift and invitation as you conclude your prayer.
Image: Myriams-Fotos; pixabay.com
Touching the Sunrise 
Beautiful and meaningful article. Thank you for the direction to experience God’s grace.
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Nothing like Unconditional Love! May we live up to His love for us!
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Hi,
(John 15 : 9) states : ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love’.
The verse is nicely propounded in the article.
This is one way of explanation with the
consistant verses about: _
A) The meaning of abiding that is staying or dwelling in Jesus’ love.
B,) How to abide in Jesus’ love
&
C) Our benefits of abiding in
Jesus ‘love.
###############
A ) The meaning of abiding in Jesus’ love is_:
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
1) To put on Lord Jesus Christ.
(Romans 13:13,14) says: Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting &
drunkenness, not in chambering & wantonness, not in strife & envying, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ & make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfil the lusts thereof.’
2) To Walk in the same way
in which Jesus walked’.
(1 John 2 : 6 )states :’He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’
Not in darkness, but in the light of life, as He is the light of the world. (John 8:12 )
(Colossians 2 : 6) says :,’As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
3) To get rooted & built up in him. & to stabilize the faith,as have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.’ (Colo. 2 : 7)
Emulating his example of love, service, & obedience to God.
4) Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High.
(Psalm 91:1) says : ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.’
B) How to abide in Jesus’ love.
###########
1) By keeping His commandments.
(1 John 3 : 24) states : ‘Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God & God in him.’
(John 15 :10) states : Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you will
abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments & abide in
his love.”
2) ln keeping what the person
has heard from the beginning.
(1John 2 : 24) states : ‘ If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son & in the Father.’
3) By loving one another.
(1 John 4: 12,13 ) state :No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,God dwelleth in us, & his love
is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him & he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.’
4) ‘Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him & he in God. (1 John 4: 15)
5) By feeding on His flesh & drinking His blood that is, by remaining in His word.
(John 6 :56 ) says :’ Whoever feeds on my flesh & drinks my blood abides in me & I in him.’
Jesus said, lf you will continue, in my word, you will come to know the truth
& the truth will set you free.”(John 8: 32)
C) Our benefits of abiding in Jesus’ love are_:
###############
1) ‘Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not. (1 John 3 : 6)
2) The person bears much fruit.
(John 15: 8) states : ‘Jesus said, Who ever abides in me & I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.’
3) ‘There is therefore now no condemn ation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 8:1)
4) ‘ Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father & the Son.'(2 John 1: 9 )
5)(John 15 : 7) states : Jesus said, ‘If ye abide in me, & my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will & it shall be
done unto you.’
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