“Remain in my love”

“Remain in my love”
 
Today’s gospel passage from John 15:9-11 is one of the most beautiful passages in Sacred Scripture. As much as possible, I will let Jesus speak for himself. He starts off by saying, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.” Jesus is claiming that his love for us is the same as the Father’s love for him. This is colossal. We are embraced by the circle of love that is found in God. It may be hard to believe. But that is what Jesus is saying. Next he urges us to stay within this energising and empowering circle of divine love. We can do this by keeping the central commandments, to love God with all my heart and soul, and to love my neighbour as myself. This circle of love extends to and includes all who are part of my world. In a sense we are called to make God’s face visible to the world. Jesus concludes these few words by saying, “I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.” To radiate God’s love to all we meet in our world is to experience the exuberance and sheer joy of Jesus. Can you imagine a sense of overwhelming happiness that ripples out to the very edges of our universe? Difficult isn’t it? But that is the joy Jesus is talking about. And that, by the way, is all we need to have a sense of what it means to be truly and fully alive in the grace and love of God. It may not be an experience that takes us out of this world. Rather, for most of us, it is that quiet feeling of inner warmth and peace wherein God’s embrace gives us the assurance that eternal life is ours here, now and forever. I should add that Jesus said these words of farewell as he faced betrayal, denial, torture and a violent death. So his words of assurance and hope would not have been said lightly.
 
There are many in our world today who struggle, in the face of violent repression and loss of meaning in life, to find that hope and assurance in the words of Jesus, “Remain in my love.” Please remember in your prayers the people of Myanmar, Yemen, India, Brazil and many others around the world who live in situations of desperate poverty, homelessness and haunting depression. What do we say? We hope that the enormous grief and sadness gripping our world can eventually give way to a firm sense of joy and happiness and hope.
 
Tom Rouse