Weekend Reflection for 4/27/18

Christ’s Reassurances

In 12- Step programs they speak of the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid! In Sunday’s reading from the first letter of John we hear “And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.” Those are the essentials; they are simple but not easy.

Our faith in Jesus is God’s gift to each of us. Most of us learned of God in our childhood from our parents and other members of the community of believers. We experienced God in the love of our families in our homes and there we learned to put love in practice and not just words. Ignatius reminds us in the Spiritual Exercises that love shows itself in deeds, the doing with and for the one we love. Slowly we learn to treat the other as we want to be treated, with respect and compassion, with patience and acceptance. It’s in loving others that we learn how to love God and his Son, Jesus. The dynamics are the same.

In his teaching about our relationship with Jesus he uses the image of the vine and its branches. The vine grounds and anchors the rest of the plant and provides nourishment to each of the branches producing the grapes. Like the vine Jesus nourishes us with his life in the Eucharist and through him we bear the fruit of love. Jesus assures us that our love for others gives glory to the Father and he will hear and answer our requests.

Fr. Ralph Huse, S.J.