May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
Nearly a year ago, on
the second day of May, at about seven in the evening, I learned something
new. In the course of a very brief
conversation, I learned that I would be receiving several new things. Among them would be a new address, a new
title, many new responsibilities, and a new family. I can say that with the new address, the new
title, the new responsibilities and the new family have come many, many new
joys.
Today in our readings
we hear about new things. In our reading
from the book of Revelation we hear about a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had
passed away and all creation had been made new.
We hear about the New Jerusalem, the holy city of the living God. We hear of the place where God will dwell
among his people, and the holy people will dwell in their God. This was the announcement of a new
relationship because the holy city is adorned and reverenced and cherished as
the Bride of the Son of God. This was
the announcement of a new joy because every tear will be wiped away and every
sorrow and every pain and even death will pass away. This is the announcement that Christ makes
all things new.
In our reading from the
Gospel of John today, we receive a new title and a new commandment. The passage from the Gospel that we hear is
not one of the appearances of the Risen Lord.
Today, we hear some of the words of the Lord Jesus from the Last Supper. At the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus calls the
disciples his children. This is the new
title that the disciples receive, and we, with those disciples, receive this
title too. Calling us children is not to
demean us, but to assure us. Children
love without limits and without conditions and without fear. Children clearly express their needs, their
desires, and their dependence. This is
what the Lord Jesus invites us to when he calls us children. We have been claimed and invited into a
relationship with the Lord Jesus and with his God and Father where we are free
to love him without limits and without conditions and without fear. The unconditional love of Christ sets us free
to express our needs and our desires and our dependence to him.
The new commandment
that we receive flows from our relationship with him. We are invited and commanded to love one
another as the Lord Jesus has loved us.
Our love for each other is to be a reflection of his love for us. As disciples of the Lord Jesus we have been
the recipients of the love that is a total gift. In loving us, the Lord Jesus has given us
everything that is his. He has shared
with us the words that he has received from the Father. He has shared with us his own relationship
with the Father, just as he is the Beloved Son we are also the beloved
children. He has shared with us his
sufferings and he shares with us his body and his blood. And he offers to share with us his
glory. Everything that the Lord Jesus
has received from the Father, he gives in loving generosity to his
disciples. Everything that Lord Jesus
has given in loving generosity to his disciples, the disciples are invited and
commanded to share with each other. We
are called to love as the Lord Jesus loves, because we have first been loved by
the Lord Jesus.
As we now enter into
the mystery of the Lord’s love and join in the worship of the New Jerusalem,
let us claim our title as beloved children of the Lord. Let us receive the love of the Lord with
faith and confidence and trust. And let
us ask for the grace to be transformed by the Lord’s love, that with all
things, we ourselves will be made new.
Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
