AletheiAnveshana: FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE: Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)

Saturday, 4 May 2024

FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE: Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)

 


FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE

Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)

“In him the complete being of God ... has been made visible to us, alleluia(DO)

We love our friends. We want the love of our friends. Our friends expect our love. If we do not have friends, we miss something important in our lives. True friendship is really beneficial for our spiritual life. Today, Jesus teaches us that he is the vine and, we his disciples are the branches. We learn that our union with Jesus will lead us to have true friendship with him yielding in fruitful service. Jesus describes the kind of service that his followers are called upon to offer to others. What is the greatest act of love for others? Jesus defines friendship as the willingness to give totally of oneself - even to the point of death. How is such love possible?

The Holy Bible tells us that God is love (1 Jn 4:8). Everything that God does flows from his immense love for us. He loves us so much that he was willing to pay the price of his Son’s precious blood to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death; and adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ (Rom 8:14-17). He poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). It is an enduring love that has power to change and transform us to be like him - merciful, gracious, kind, forgiving, and steadfast in showing love not only for our friends but also for our enemies. That’s why God made us in love for love.

If we open our hearts to him, Jesus gives us a new commandment - a new way of loving and serving one another. It is very difficult to serve for the welfare of others. But, our love for God and our willingness to struggle for others would be a response to the exceeding love that God has given us in Christ. Paul the Apostle states, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35,38-39).

The Lord Jesus loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. In the same way, he wants us to love one another unconditionally if we love God. His love fills our hearts and transforms our minds and, frees us to give ourselves in loving service to others. If we open our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity. God called Abraham friend (Is 41:8). God called Moses friend (Ex 33:11). Jesus calls us friends rather than his servants. In a good and happy marriage the two spouses will be one another’s best friends. Parents are friends to the children and children friends to the parents. Families in the neighborhoods remain friends to serve if we the branches live in Jesus the vine.

“God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (DO)

No comments:

Post a Comment