READINGS FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B, SUNDAY 5TH MAY, 2024.
First Reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm: 97
Second Reading: 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel: John 15:9-17
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B. My reflection today focuses on how we can understand God’s commandments and keep them. To achieve this objective, I will draw inspiration from the scriptures and experiential knowledge of existential realities of life.
To satisfy my curiosity towards understanding the meaning of God’s commandments, it is pertinent to acknowledge that different schools of thought have different knowledge and understanding of what it means to keep God’s commandments. Scriptural readings reveal that Jesus has the supreme knowledge and understanding of the true meaning of God’s commandments.
In respect of this revelation, the first letter of St John, Chapter 4, defines God as love. John explains that God expressed His love for mankind by sending His Son to die for us “as expiation for our sins.” Since God has loved us first, we are commanded to love God and love one another. (1 John 4:7-10). Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of John Chapter 14, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Jesus also said, “Anyone who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21). Again, Jesus said, “If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words. And my word is not my own: it is the word of the one who sent me. I have said these things to you while still with you.” (John 14:23-25).
These words of Jesus reveal to us the link between loving God and keeping God’s commandments. Put differently, these words imply that we keep what we love and love what we keep. In other words, we can say simply, what we love, we cherish and what we cherish, we value, what we value, we do everything within our power to preserve and keep.
With this understanding in view, keeping God’s commandments entails loving God as He has loved us. We cannot but love God. He loved us first and sacrificed himself for our salvation. Jesus promised to love and show himself to anyone who loves him. Anyone who loves Jesus will be loved by God the Father. In this case, love elicits love. Love entails sacrifice.
Today’s Gospel reveals that the highest expression of love is our willingness to lay down our lives for each other as Jesus did for us. Jesus tells us that He has chosen us as His friends. Jesus instructed his disciples to “love one another as He has loved them.” This statement teaches us that we cannot love God and hate our neighbour. We cannot separate our relationship with God from our various relationships with people around us. Love is not partial. Christ centred love is justice in approach. (John 15:9-17).
Today’s First Reading confirms this teaching. God shows no partiality in His love. This shows that there are no boundaries or limits in authentic and Christ centred love. God loves everyone unconditionally and abundantly. The Holy Spirit and His gifts are limitless and open to all who fear and keep God’s commandments. Peter revealed this in his address in the house of Cornelius. Peter said, “The truth I have now come to realise is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:25-26).
The Psalmist draws our attention towards God’s tremendous love and mercy in offering salvation to mankind. (Psalm 97). As people of goodwill and friends of Jesus Christ, we are urged to give everyone the respect he or she deserves. This will empower us to ask God our Father for anything that challenges us.
As we journey through the challenges of life, we are invited to obey God’s commandment of love and to love one another as He has loved us. We are encouraged to love our neighbour as God has loved us. When we do that, we are keeping God’s commandments.
May the Holy Spirit help us to keep God’s commandments and also keep us inseparably united with God our Father and with one another, now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.