THE VITALITY OF OUR MISSION

A reflection from Jn 15: 9-11

        “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: remain in my love.” God not only loves, but he is love. Love is the life of God and thus the Son feels loved, because He shares this same life. Love creates communion and, therefore, delivery and donation. Lives that love who is able to give his life for friends. There is no greater love, because this is going to last consequences. In this same love the disciples are involved and invited to stay. This means that the love that Jesus has for those who follow him goes far beyond something to be imitated. It is the own life of the Master which should continue in the lives of the disciples. So he will continue living and working in those who follow him.

         The commandment of love existed before Jesus, but now is taught in a new way and with a totally new language. It is not more from the old, but from Jesus that the disciples should conduct their lives and their relationships. The announcement of God's salvation involves the experience of love as Jesus lived. He brought the revelation of the true face of God: a God who shows himself concerned with loving care of everything - even of "a hair of our head" (Lk 21, 18). A God Abba, who is faced to all people with all the strength and activity of his compassionate love and liberator, enabling that the less loved do the experience of the eternal love. A God that does not exclude anyone, but he loves with priority. As states the theologian L. C. Susin, “To love with priority is what makes a mother, according an old Arab proverb: she prefers the sick until he becomes healthy, she prefers which is far until it arrives, she prefers the smaller until it grows (...)”.

In this sense, Jesus calls us so that we may enable everyone what he brought to all. But first it is necessary that we open ourselves to the mystery of the God who loves saving and saves loving. He is always with us, always has loved us and he has cared us as sons and daughters. If we remain in his love, the love in us will be perfect and we will experiment complete joy. Otherwise, our limitations will determine how we should love. And it will be our ruin. Truly love who only want the good of the beloved, even if she/he does not deserve. This is how God loves us, in gratitude and generosity, without any merit of our part. This experience should lead us to do the same thing He does. What was said to the first Christians - “See how they love one another” – only was possible because they remained together in the love that called them. Such requirement is still valid in our days and is this that assures the vitality of our mission.

Pe. Degaaxé

Revision: Brother Cipriano