6th Sunday of Easter B - 5th May 2024  

This is a beautiful reading and the more I hear or read it the more I don’t understand it or rather I find it hard to believe. The words themselves I understand, it’s the concept of love that I sometimes struggle with and yet when I do get a glimpse of what Jesus is saying to ME rather than His apostles it is quite mind-blowing and in that sense it IS hard to believe/ understand. 

 

There are two ideas behind this – the first is that we love others as we recognise something in them, something that moves us, to joy, to actions, to worry. It almost seems to come naturally, spontaneously, and it is not something we can force or do on command. Secondly, we are loved by others. We receive love, the love that God gives us. If we learn to know we are loved by God and really BELIEVE it then our lives would be much easier to understand. 

 

So often it is said that people can’t show love to others, including themselves, unless they first experience being loved. And yet, we ARE loved first – by God. In turn we show that love to others. Each of us, no doubt, have had experiences we can recall where we have seen how love can transform people. We have also seen the effects on a life where love is missing. In recent years, especially during the pandemic and through disasters we came to realise and appreciate even more the importance of love, in particular the physical presence, of those whom we love. 

 

When we feel loved we can do anything we set our minds too, almost. We grow as people because someone, some people, love us. In turn by giving our love to others we help them to grow and become the best people they can be - themselves. The more I am loved, the more myself I become, the more I become the person God always meant me to be. In turn I can do that for others. 

 

If we do nothing else today or this coming week let us pause to remain in Jesus’ love. We are loved by God and all we have to do is to believe it, accept it and keep with it. Shouldn’t be too hard to do, should it?