“Love one another as I have loved you”

In his homily, Fr. Martin asked the congregation the following questions:

Can you name me……

three of the richest man in the world?

who won the recent miss universe pageant?

the winners of the recent Oscar awards?

There was much silence and then he continued with three other questions:

Can you name me….

three teachers that taught you well?

three friends who have been there for you?

three people who have encouraged you and affirmed you?

The congregation responded yes without much hesitation.

 “Thus, it matters not who made the headlines or has more wealth or fame but who loved us and touched us in some way that matters,” said Fr. Martin.

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13: 34-35

Jesus gave a new commandment in His farewell discourse to his disciples. He gave this commandment and showed us the way to practice it as he did through His passion and death on the cross.

Pope John Paul II explains that this new commandment is “a new seed that which renews relations between people….. It makes us of the new People of God, the Church in which we must love Christ and in him love each other in turn.”  Thus if we are the disciples of Christ, we have to love one another as He did.

Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service. The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved. If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Mother Theresa