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| “Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels” by Giovanni Bellini, 1460 |
Catechism Links: [3]
CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 214, 218-221, 231, 257, 733, 2331, 2577: God is love
CCC 1789, 1822-1829, 2067, 2069: Love of God and neighbor fulfills the Commandments
CCC 2347, 2709: Friendship with Christ
Commentary:
Reading 1: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Commentary on Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
This is part of Peter’s speech to the Cornelius and his family (Gentiles). He has clearly been influenced by the universal salvation through Christ preached by Paul. He proclaims that God is for everyone not just the Israelites. He then launches into the Good News which he starts with a description of the Baptism of the Lord ( Acts 10:34-38) and how the Holy Spirit descended. Even as he recounted this, the Holy Spirit descends upon those gathered and Peter has the entire household baptized.
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Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Psalm 98 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. We see in this selection how God is praised for the strength he lends his people, and the salvation he brings to those who are faithful. The psalm rejoices in God’s salvation. The Lord has revealed his compassion toward the people and they sing his praises in response. As the Hebrews saw this as salvation for the people of Israel from its enemies, we see the deeper expression of God’s love as he sent his Son for salvation and justice for the whole world.
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Reading II: 1 John 4:7-10
Commentary on 1 Jn 4:7-10
This wonderful selection from St. John’s first letter is a summary of the Apostle’s major contribution to our understanding of God as revealed through His Only Begotten Son. The exhortation to love one another is repeated frequently throughout the author’s Gospel and his letters. The idea that “God is love” is central to our understanding of God and Christ. In this short passage we see not only a glimpse of God’s intent in sending Jesus to the world as a proof of his love for us through “…expiation of our sins,” but also our own imperative as Christians to love one another in imitation of him
CCC: 1 Jn 4:8 214, 221, 733, 1604; 1 Jn 4:9 458, 516; 1 Jn 4:10 457, 604, 614, 620, 1428
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Gospel: John 15:9-17
Commentary on Jn 15:9-17
The discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples continues. His words become a monologue and go beyond the immediate crisis of Christ’s departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the chain of love from the Father, through the Son, to his adopted sons and daughters.
There is much made of the use of the difference in the Greek words for ‘love’ used in this discourse. When Jesus says ‘No one has greater love than this…’ the word agapao (intimate, selfless love) is used, while when he says ‘You are my friends…’ the word phileo (casual ‘friendly’ (brotherly) type of love) is used. St. John uses the two words synonymously so the message is clear – reiterated at the end of the passage – ‘Love one another.'
St. John also distinguishes the disciples' new relationship with God saying, “I no longer call you slaves…I have called you friends.” Jesus designates the disciples “friends of God.” This designation is supported and defined in other places in sacred scripture. It separates the disciples from Moses, Joshua, and David who carried the designation “Servants of the Lord” (see Deuteronomy 34:5, Joshua 24:29, and Psalm 89:21). Calling them “friends” of God establishes the same relationship as that enjoyed by Abraham (see James 2:23): “Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called 'the friend of God.'" [5] The clear reference was that they, like Abraham, would be patriarchs of the New Covenant.
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824; 15:9 1823; 15:12 459, 1823, 1970, 2074; 15:13 363, 609, 614; 15:15 1972, 2347; 15:16-17 2745; 15:16 434, 737, 2615, 2815
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Reflection:
This simple command to his disciples is the most difficult thing ever asked by God of humankind. If it were asked of mother and child – it could be possible, at least most of the time. If it were asked between two siblings, it might be possible if they were close to each other. But to ask it of friends, even very close friends, and ask that it not just be applied among themselves but to others as well- that is incredibly difficult.
What Jesus commands his disciples,(the emphasis is added because it is not a request or suggestion), is to love one another as he loved them. That love is not a simple hug and slap on the back. That is an “I lay my life down gladly for you in spite of all your faults” love. That is the give-the-other-cheek-with-humility love that does not seek to give guilt. That is the love that allows one person to tell another the most painful truth without giving offense and that truth being accepted without anger, but with thanks. Christ’s love is the love that transforms the lover into something more than human, some creation that is linked to God, intimately.
God the Father, through his Son, Jesus who is the Christ, with the Holy Spirit, commands us to love one another! If we are to accomplish this and thereby remain in him and he in us as scripture says, we must draw on the strength and wisdom that flows from him. We must do this, knowing that our love cannot be perfect as his love for us is perfect. But we can imagine, can’t we? We can envision how much he loves us. We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass. We feel it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can understand it intellectually. That means we can work toward that kind of love for one another.
In the opening statement of this reflection it was said that the kind of love Christ commanded was possible between family members. It is at a deep level. That is, a mother at some deep level will love her child and siblings will love each other at some deep level. But too frequently, love and trust are violated and, because of the depth of feeling, a rift occurs, hatred shows its ugly and destructive face and damage is done in a depth proportionate to the love that existed before. We must look inside our own familial relationships and find the damage there. This must be the first step in trying to follow Jesus’ command to love one another. Pray for the strength to repair those damaged feelings, and see if love cannot rule there once more.
As always these reflections apply first to me and so I am making my pledge to love my family as God loves me. That means my children when they do mean and hurtful things or when they are just inconsiderate (since my wife is perfect I don’t need to worry about her) but I will try to expand that command to reach all the relationships I have: at work, at Church, in my social life. In that way I can approach the command Jesus gives us: "This I command you: love one another."
Pax
[1] The Picture used is “Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels” by Giovanni Bellini, 1460
[3] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[5] St. John synthesizes Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7 in which Abraham is called God’s friend.
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