Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
I think often of our parish motto, “Think like Jesus. Talk like Jesus. Act like Jesus.” These are powerful and intentional words to live by. They help give us guidance on how to form our moral compass and make decisions. It will not always be easy, but at least we have a path to follow. Today’s gospel takes this all one step further - if we are going to choose to think, live and act like Jesus, we are also choosing to suffer like Jesus.
As we read today, when we choose to love as Christ loves, it may cause some to hate us, as they hated Jesus. It may cause us to be persecuted and lied to, just as Jesus was. When I think about our parish motto I think it can be summed up in two words - “choose love.” Some hear this and think - “Love. Ok. That’s easy. I can do that.” But here’s the tricky part - often choosing love means choosing the harder, more uncomfortable path. Love is messy. Love is not about what makes us feel good - it is about sincerely choosing to do what is good, unselfish, life giving, peace making and often challenging. Love means setting boundaries, giving of ourselves, forgiving others, having honest conversations and often doing what is in the best interest of common good rather than seeking personal gain.
And to many, this way of living can be intimidating. Why? Jesus tells us that this is because they do not know God the Father, who sent us Jesus. This causes me to ask - do I know God? Sometimes my answer is an unwavering yes but other times my answer is a meek no. I find in this Gospel a challenge to work to get to know God on a deeper, more personal level each and every day. So that I may not become the one persecuting and hating I need to constantly work to grow my relationship with God. Through prayer, reading the Bible and receiving the sacraments, as I am able, I can continue to grow in my knowledge of God and therefore in my knowledge of love. A deeper understanding of God’s love then helps me more intentionally live our motto - “Think like Jesus. Talk like Jesus. Act like Jesus.” Amen.
AJ Grimm