We have a very simple formula presented to us today in our first reading from the letter of St. John: loving the God we cannot see means loving the neighbor we can see. And not only does it mean this, it also requires it! The activity of loving produces the presence of God. It generates proof of existence of God. It gives that "feeling" of connectedness to God that so many people seem to seek after!
And so John rightly says: Since God first loved us, and our lives are meant to be a response to the love: he who says he "loves God" but "hates his brother" is a liar!
In the gospel passage today we see Jesus identifying himself with the Servant Messiah, the one prophesied by Isaiah to be anointed by the Spirit to reverse the curse of the original sin: so that the spiritually poor would be spiritually rich, the spiritually blind could now see spiritual realties and truths, the ones oppressed by their own constrictions and perspectives could be free to engage in loving and service activities with and for their true brothers and sisters – their neighbors – the people God has placed in this world with us so that we could prove our love for him and exercise it for our own good and theirs!
As Jesus was sent by the Father to be an instrument of love, so Jesus has sent us to do the same: the Lord sends us to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives. May do our job this day – cheerfully and joyfully!
No comments:
Post a Comment