Love builds the community of the faithful

Rev. Fr. Achilleus Ile Adole CSSp.

Jesus speaks to his disciples about the commandment of love. He said, "...This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...."

This teaching of Jesus was particularly directed to the disciples and not to the entire crowd that normally followed him. With this, Jesus told the disciples about the kind of love that should be visible amongst them.

For any community to grow, there must be people who are ready to make sacrifices for the good of that community, and such sacrifices are made out of love. This was what the early Christians needed to grow.

Just like Jesus emphasized on the need for sacrificial love amongst his own disciples, we the Christians of today also need to invest in and practice this sacrificial love that builds us rather than taking notes of the little things that may bring out our differences, and shame to the body of Christ.

We must be ready to stand in love with our brothers and sisters to defend them in every situation rather than pushing them out to the world to suffer humiliation and public disgrace.

The lack of genuine and sacrificial love is actually causing a lot of divisions amongst the christians of our time, that is why we can see people taking sides and declaring themselves asdisciples of one pastor or the other. We must remember that there is only one true shepherd who is Jesus Christ, and the rest of us are his disciples and his flock, and It is only love that can keep us united under the guidance of Christ who is our shepherd. That is why He talks to us today about the need for love amongst us.

We already have too many external forces fighting against us as Christians. Let us put away our individual differences and put on the garment of love, that the community of the faithful may continue to grow for the better glory of God the Father in heaven.

May the heart of every Christian be filled with love for one another, and may the holy spirit inspire us in all we do. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Peace be with you.