Love Is Not Just Words

Weekly Missionary Reflection
6th Sunday of Easter, 05 May 2024
Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; Ps. 98:1,2-3ab,3cd-4; 1John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17

“ As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.”
(John 15:9)

Today’s Gospel is about the commandment to love each other. Jesus tells His disciples that as the Father loves Him, so He also loves His disciples. Hence, Jesus commands His disciples to love each other. Jesus also refers to His disciples as friends, not slaves, as slaves do not know what their master is doing. Jesus has told His disciples what He has heard from His Father.

Jesus calls us to love others, all creatures, and the universe with selfless love, without expecting reward or something in return. Can we have such great love? Yes, we can! Jesus makes us able to love for we are living in love (John 15:9). Jesus says that it is not we who choose Him, but He who chooses us and appoints us to go and bear fruit. This reminds us that our vocation and ministry come from God, and we are called to bear the fruit of the Spirit. Apart from the fact that we are living in love, we can love anyone for Jesus has treated us as His friends, not slaves. There is no hierarchical structure in love. We are all equally loved by Jesus.

In our daily lives, words of love are often spoken, but how are they performed? Can we perform them as easily as they are spoken? No! We often speak out loud about love, teaching love wherever we go, yet at home we don’t greet family members, we hate our brothers and sisters, we don’t talk with our neighbors, and so on. Words of love end in our speaking. 

Jesus asks us to love others with action and words through today’s Gospel. Love is not just words. Love embraces words, action, and sacrifice. May we be able to love unconditionally, without fear and expecting reward.

(Ignasius Lede – Commission for Mission of The Bishop’s Conference of Indonesia)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church of this month:

Universal Church Intent: For the formations of religious and seminarians
We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.

Indonesian Church Intent: Content creator and influencer
We pray that the content creators and influencers be able to produce content of positive message, honesty and unity building.

Amen.