Christian love

‘God, that’s very true’ — a remark at our liturgy meeting after the second reading. Jealousy kills, envy too, and isn’t it great to rejoice in the good fortune of another?

Love is what we bring with us at the end of life. ‘We will be judged in the evening of life by love (St John of the Cross). Love for those near and far, for love in the gospel is more than love for just the family, the friend, the attractive one, the neighbour, for all.

There are different calls to Christian love – near and dear daily love, friendship, marriage, relationships. The wider world like in our job where we live in a loving way, in justice with all, not using others for personal gain; the wider world where a universal love makes me want to make a difference in the bigger world. Love carries us into wide seas and waters. It involves us with everyone. It obviously doesn’t mean we relate to everyone – nor that we even like everyone. Love is when others’ lives become at least as important as our own; and in the deepest loves like marriage, family, and often friendship, others’ lives become even more important.

Love changes — we look back and see how the people we loved make the difference. Life is too short to look love in the face and say no.
‘We are moulded and remoulded by those who have loved us, and though their love may pass, we are nevertheless their work’ (F. Mauriac).

The second reading today is hard to beat! We see it in action when we look at the life of Jesus.

Dear Jesus whose heart is wide enough to love us all,
make our hearts like yours.

Donal Neary S.J.

Tired disciples

Jesus spent time lighting the fire so he could cook breakfast on the seashore. Reminds me of my mother getting the fire ready in the old days so we could make toast with red embers on the long toasting fork. This is Jesus, the risen Jesus. No big apparitions in the sky, but just the simple act in the dawn of cooking bread and fish.

The meal was for tired disciples. Often in the gospel stories he talked about people preparing meals and serving them. He seemed to say a lot through meals and at meals. He allowed a woman dry his feet with her hair at a meal.

In cooking for people love is active. A mother might count up sometime how many meals she has cooked, and call them hours of love. This too is the mission and identity of Jesus.
After death and resurrection comes the Spirit of love. Love given, love received and love shared.

The breakfast meal will end with questions about love. Anything real about the resurrection always ends in being sent by God on the mission of Jesus. He gives little instruction about the mission nor even what it may entail. But it entails being led by God. Life for Jesus is life with Jesus and with the grace of God. We are never alone.

This is the company and the friendship at the source of the life of the soul, and which keeps our unique personality alive. This love comes in prayer and in love and in our loving service of others. This is mission with and for the risen Jesus Christ.

Risen Lord, increase my faith, hope and love.

Donal Neary S.J.

Only Faith

Jesus spoke in short sentences and summed up a lot of life in a few words. His final beatitude is in the gospel today – ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’  You can unpack that little phrase and in it you realise that faith is about things that cannot be proved, that it is not easy and that it brings a blessedness to life. It also includes ourselves – the ones of this year who still believe.

Something is only by faith when everything else fades off. Our loved ones die and only faith assures us that they are ‘alive with God‘. Only faith assures us that Jesus is present in the mystery of the bread and wine at our Mass. Only faith assures us that he is with us when two or three gather and only faith assures us that what we do for others we do for him. Faith assures us of some of the best things of life; finally that we come from God and go to God.

Thomas found difficulty with all this. Jesus dealt gently with him, pointing out the wounds of his body and inviting him to touch them. But Thomas never needed to touch the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet. He was told that an even better happiness was to believe without touch or sight. He found faith now in the risen Lord, and the faith itself was Jesus final gift to Thomas.

We need to take time and let faith grow within us. This can be in prayer, in faith-conversation and in allowing ourselves sit quietly and be in the presence of God. In the busy world, this may be difficult, but no day is diminished by time spent in silence and in quiet, knowing we are richly blessed when we grow our faith in God.

Lord, I believe in your presence
with me and within me.
Strengthen my belief.

Donal Neary S.J.