Keep the faith
Gospel Reflection
When I was staying in a fisherfolks community in Cavite, a seven-year old kid surprised and disturbed me with a revelation. He said, I don't believe in Jesus brother. And I asked him, why? And he said: because the people who believe in Jesus are bad people. They tell stories about others that are not true, they are always fighting against each other, they don't care about others, they are selfish. Me and my mother, we don't believe in Jesus but my mother have helped a lot of people and we don't talk about the lives of other people.
Ok. Case closed.
My dear brothers and sisters, this is the challenge that our reading is posing on us today. How do we truly live our lives as followers of Christ?
In our first reading (Acts 14:21-27) we heard how Paul and Barnabas were going to different places in order to share the good news of Christ and to strengthen the faith of the believers in these places. Apparently, many were experiencing difficulties the reason why they were also telling them that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Keep the faith.
But how could they keep the faith?
In our second reading (Rev 21:1-5), John was given a vision where God's Kingdom descended from heaven and from then on God has made his dwelling on Earth.
When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
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.”
When I was staying in a fisherfolks community in Cavite, a seven-year old kid surprised and disturbed me with a revelation. He said, I don't believe in Jesus brother. And I asked him, why? And he said: because the people who believe in Jesus are bad people. They tell stories about others that are not true, they are always fighting against each other, they don't care about others, they are selfish. Me and my mother, we don't believe in Jesus but my mother have helped a lot of people and we don't talk about the lives of other people.
Ok. Case closed.
My dear brothers and sisters, this is the challenge that our reading is posing on us today. How do we truly live our lives as followers of Christ?
In our first reading (Acts 14:21-27) we heard how Paul and Barnabas were going to different places in order to share the good news of Christ and to strengthen the faith of the believers in these places. Apparently, many were experiencing difficulties the reason why they were also telling them that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Keep the faith.
But how could they keep the faith?
In our second reading (Rev 21:1-5), John was given a vision where God's Kingdom descended from heaven and from then on God has made his dwelling on Earth.
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God."
In this Earth, because of God's eternal presence, "there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain." Such beautiful imagery that we've been given: God will wipe away our tears.
But how can God dwell in us when we are not living out our being Christians.
We don't even know what it means to be Christians. To be baptized in the Church is not enough, that doesn't make you a follower of Christ. This beautiful ceremony would be useless, would have no meaning if we don't truly live out the promise we made when we were baptized, which we are reminded of again and again in the different rites of our Church.
When we just take it for granted and we don't live it out, what kind of Christians are we, or are we truly Christians?
What are we supposed to live out anyway?
In our Gospel reading, we find Jesus and his disciples on the night of the Last Supper. Judas just left them, he was to betray Jesus. But in this betrayal Jesus saw the fulfillment of his glorification in order to give glory to God.
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once."
But before that happens, he reminded them, he left them with one simple request: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."
Our basis for loving others is not simple, its not simply because of our beautiful relationship with each other, it is not our attachment and dependency on each other, it is not because we are family - rather it is because we have received the love of Christ for us, and the love that we received from him, this should also be the love that we should give each other.
When we truly experience this love from God, my dear brothers and sisters, when we allow ourselves, when we open ourselves up for this love, then this love will come flooding towards us, a tidal wave that we could not contain, that it would automatically overflow to others, there is no time for us to choose as to who would receive this love because we would have no control over it.
Love is the very witness of our being Christians, it is the evidence that we are followers of Christ and if we lack love, then there is something wrong.
"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
And it is not just ordinary love, it is the love of Christ that should be present in us, that people should see in us. It is the love that is willing to sacrifice one's self for the sake of the other, even, most especially, those you are having difficulty in loving - the people who've caused you pain and sorrow.
So let us check ourselves from time to time, do I lack in loving my brothers and sisters? Or better yet, am I allowing God's love to dwell in me, to live in me?
We pray that God would give us this desire to receive his love and for his love to dwell in us, that we may be instruments in spreading his love to others.
But how can God dwell in us when we are not living out our being Christians.
We don't even know what it means to be Christians. To be baptized in the Church is not enough, that doesn't make you a follower of Christ. This beautiful ceremony would be useless, would have no meaning if we don't truly live out the promise we made when we were baptized, which we are reminded of again and again in the different rites of our Church.
When we just take it for granted and we don't live it out, what kind of Christians are we, or are we truly Christians?
What are we supposed to live out anyway?
In our Gospel reading, we find Jesus and his disciples on the night of the Last Supper. Judas just left them, he was to betray Jesus. But in this betrayal Jesus saw the fulfillment of his glorification in order to give glory to God.
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once."
But before that happens, he reminded them, he left them with one simple request: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."
Our basis for loving others is not simple, its not simply because of our beautiful relationship with each other, it is not our attachment and dependency on each other, it is not because we are family - rather it is because we have received the love of Christ for us, and the love that we received from him, this should also be the love that we should give each other.
When we truly experience this love from God, my dear brothers and sisters, when we allow ourselves, when we open ourselves up for this love, then this love will come flooding towards us, a tidal wave that we could not contain, that it would automatically overflow to others, there is no time for us to choose as to who would receive this love because we would have no control over it.
Love is the very witness of our being Christians, it is the evidence that we are followers of Christ and if we lack love, then there is something wrong.
"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
And it is not just ordinary love, it is the love of Christ that should be present in us, that people should see in us. It is the love that is willing to sacrifice one's self for the sake of the other, even, most especially, those you are having difficulty in loving - the people who've caused you pain and sorrow.
So let us check ourselves from time to time, do I lack in loving my brothers and sisters? Or better yet, am I allowing God's love to dwell in me, to live in me?
We pray that God would give us this desire to receive his love and for his love to dwell in us, that we may be instruments in spreading his love to others.
📸 Tim Marshall | Unsplash
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