JOHN 15: 9-17. GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (MAY 14, 2020)

MAY 14, 2020

GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION

JOHN 15 : 9-17

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love! You will remain in my love if you kept my commandments, just as I have  kept my Father's  commandments and remain in His love.  I have told you all this, that my own joy may in you, and your joy may be complete. This is my commandments: love one another as I have loved you! There is no greater love than this, to give one's life for one's friends;  and you are my friends,  if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants anymore, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead,  I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from  my Father. You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruits, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. This is my command, that you love one another.

POINT OF REFLECTION

The gospel taught us the nature of loving God. Love can be categorically classified as trans-dimensional love and dimensional love. Talking about trans-dimensional love is a love that cut across dimensions. On the other hand, dimensional love is a love within a dimension.

What do we mean by trans-dimensional love and dimensional love in a broader perspective? Trans-dimensional love is about our love that would allow us to relate seriously to the Father who is in heaven. It is a kind of love that start here and would last for eternity. While dimensional is a love  that would allow us to relate to the different people around us. It is a kind of love that would only last for a life time. Example: your family members, close relatives, friends, etc.

Loving God is trans-dimensional in nature. A love that grow within this blood and flesh by the grace of God, carefully nurtured according to the process and procedure laid out for us in accordance with the spoken words of Jesus. This is symbolically "a cross of loving God." A love compounded by a vertical  line stretch of ones responsibilities to the Father  and a horizontal line stretch of ones responsibilities to the surrounding community of believers and non-believers. If drawn, resembles the cross of Jesus in  overcoming the sins of the world.

Why called this as  cross of loving God? When we look at God, we look at it straight far above and beyond, hoping to cut across some day from this  earth into heaven, ultimate goal. This is what we called as the vertical cross line of loving God. This is unthinkably hard to figure out. But, doable for God had taught us how to do it in this gospel reading.

How? Start loving God by accepting Him through Jesus, know God as Jesus had spoken. Growing in knowledge about Him helps us  reconfigure our ways to love God to the fullest. Obey His commandments.

 Loving God is giving our all. Offering our whole self unto the Father. This is the vertical line of the cross of loving God. We need to love him above all, spending almost all of our time to honor and glorify Him (first commandment).

The horizontal  cross line of  loving God, is loving others as we do love ourselves, (second commandment). This is offering sacrificial services to our fellow brothers and sisters who are in dire needs. This is hard but tell you, when you achieve the feeling of joy and satisfaction, you are almost  on your way to the so called “trans-dimensional love” a kind of love that truly taps His majestic love on us. The reward  is an absolute joy as Jesus had said.

Finally, loving God can be achieved by living a life in the practical application of His two greatest commandments: Loving  God above all and Loving others as one loves himself.