Friar’s Corner: Jesus gives us his love-power
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a; 34-35
These fifty days after Easter and preparing for the Feast of Pentecost have us reading from St. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, the history of the earliest church. We also have the great honor and joy of learning from one of Jesus’ closest friends, St. John. We also have the joy of seeing how nicely the early Church grew as it was sent by the Holy Spirit into the world.
There is a newness in the readings this Sunday. St. Paul and Barnabas return from their first missionary journey to their base community enthusiastically reporting on the Gentile acceptance of Jesus and his Church. The second reading from the end of Revelations speaks of the end time union of Jesus and his Church with the Church being made completely new in God’s kingdom.
The end of chapter 13 of St. John introduces us to the last teachings of Jesus to his faithful followers at the Last Supper after Judas had left. We will read those from chapters 14-17. In addition to all those wonderful “I AM” statements describing Jesus’ ministry to us, he gives us not hundreds of commandments, but One New Commandment, “Love one another.” He gives himself as the model. “As I have loved you so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
There are many ideas to express love that are mostly emotional and self-seeking. St. Paul gives us sixteen characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. I express them in the positive, as they are easier to understand. Love is:
- Patient
- Kind
- Respectful of others
- Humble
- Open to others or sensitive
- Courteous
- Helpful
- Understanding
- Forgiving
- Merciful or compassionate
- Truthful
- Ready to make allowances
- Ready to trust
- Hopeful or optimistic
- Persevering or enduring
- Lasts forever or is faithful.
How can we understand this more fully? God, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are loving, perfect and eternal. Our faith teaches us that they are One God. They designed, created everything from nothing and keep everything together. They are in a sense the glue or energy that holds all matter together. They are perfect and just in their operations. We cannot add anything to them to make them happy since that is a human emotion. We cannot make them sad since they are perfect in everything.
Plugging into love-power
How do they love us? As we get to know them and their unending and perfect love for us, we can receive more of their love by “plugging into it,” as we would turn on our TV and tune into a program. As we make the connection to any of the members of the Holy Trinity we can receive more of what they have for us. We get filled with more of their divine power (love). We do that by our prayer time.
The more we pray sincerely from our heart, the more love-power we receive. Then we are able more effectively share that with our fellow human beings. We are all God’s children. There are no grandchildren in God’s family. That makes us all brothers and sisters.
The questions come, how much of God’s love do we want? How much do we already have? And are we willing to share it with others? Our extra amount goes out to those around us who have less. Therefore, we get drained of God’s love.
Replenishing love-power
What do we do then? Go back to God in prayer and get filled up again with Jesus’ love-power. Frequent Mass is the most powerful “power-station” from God. Then we have the other sacraments and other prayers.
I recommend you get a copy of Bette Myers’ painting of the face of Jesus, www.truefaceofjesus.com. As you gaze into his eyes for ten or more minutes each day, you will be amazed at how much love flows from Jesus into you. You can tell him how much you love him.
What the world needs now
Does our world need more of God’s love? So many negative, angry and violent things are happening all around us, in our own country and around the world every day. There are good people around, yet not enough to make much of a change in the things close to us.
We need to pray more and become brighter beacons of God’s love. On Pentecost Jesus’ earliest followers were set on fire with his love and burst out of the Upper Room. Three thousand Jews became the first Catholics that Sunday. Are we willing to be among those fire Catholics?
May Jesus give all of us more understanding of what our Christian life is all about here on earth so we get more ready to go join Jesus in heaven. I want to be more of a “torch” for Jesus. Are you willing to come join me and thousands of other “torches” for Jesus? Together we can help Jesus make our world a better place to live and love in.
Loving blessings,
+Fr. Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2019 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
