Love Begins With God

Homily for April 24, 2016 (5th Sunday of Easter)
Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a, 34-35

In his recently released apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Pope Francis provides an extensive exegesis of what is probably the Bible reading most frequently used for Christian celebrations of marriage: St. Paul’s reflections in 1 Corinthians 13 about what is and isn’t love (AL 89-119).   It’s no accident that those reflections are immediately preceded by Paul’s description of the church as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).   At its best, marriage reflects, even imperfectly, both the communion of Christ and his Church and the communion between Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the mystery of the Trinity (AL 120-122). 

Today’s gospel passage from John 13 occurs within the context of the Last Supper.  Jesus has already shown his disciples a powerful and practical example of loving service by washing their feet (vv. 1-20), and he has also confronted Judas about his betrayal of that love (vv. 21-30).  Preparing to be “glorified” in his death, he gives them a new commandment:  to love one another as he has loved them.  It will be the preeminent sign that they are his disciples.

In the Book of Revelation, John gives us a beautiful vision of how that loving communion in our families, in our Church and with God will be revealed.   We will have a new heaven and a new earth, and a New Jerusalem where God will dwell with the human race, where all tears are wiped away, and where “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”  It is quite a contrast to the world and Jerusalem as they are today, afflicted as they are with all kinds of racial, ethnic, religious and other forms of strife, some of it deadly.

How can we draw closer to realizing John’s hopeful vision, understanding that it will never be perfectly fulfilled in this world?  First, we need to remember that love begins not with us but with God.  Indeed, in 1 John 4 we are reminded that “love is of God,” that God has loved us first, and finally that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in them” (vv. 7, 10, 16b).  Our Responsorial Psalm tells us that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness…good to all and compassionate toward all his works.”

Second, we can follow the example of Paul and Barnabas in our reading from Acts 14.  In the midst of their missionary journey, they return to some of the places where they first planted the seeds of the gospel.  They strengthen the spirits of the community, and they exhort them to stay strong in the faith.  They also remind them that hardships and difficulties are required to enter the kingdom of God, where the fullness of love will be revealed and experienced.  As beautiful as any wedding day can be, marriage and parenting are demanding.  The fog machine at the reception gives way to getting up in a fog at 2 AM to change a diaper.

Paul and Barnabas do something else that’s really important, they appoint elders (presbyteroi) to not only lead but more importantly to accompany the community of faith.  Just as the Good Shepherd not only leads but walks with the sheep, so pastors are called to walk with their parishes, spouses are called to walk with each other and their children, teachers are called to walk with their students, coaches are called to walk with their players, bosses are called to walk with their employees, and elected officials are called to walk with their constituents.  As Pope Francis exhorts us at the end of Amoris Laetitia, “let us keep walking together” (AL 325). +