Jesus tells us today in our reading from John’s Gospel that he gives us a new commandment: to love one another just as he has loved us. That seems pretty simple and direct on the surface. In fact, even a young child in our parish could explain that above everything else, God is love. But, as we all know, to implement this commandment, to love one another, is not so simple. Jesus challenges us to live out this commandment in our daily life in our words and our actions.
In this midst of our celebration of the joyful season of Easter, as we try to make sense of the risen Lord in our daily reality, we celebrate the ordination of parishioner Andrew Bowden to the priesthood here in the Diocese of Jackson. We celebrate with Father Andrew and his family. We celebrate with him in his first Mass of Thanksgiving here at St Jude this Sunday morning. We will be glad to have Father Andrew serving as associate pastor in one of our parishes here in the Diocese of Jackson.
As I think about Father Andrew and the weekend of his ordination in the context of today’s Gospel, It is important to note that Jesus did not tell his disciples this commandment of love at a warm and cuddly moment on their journey. He told them this as they were gathered in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, as he was preparing them for the reality of his upcoming death on the cross. After Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples as a symbol of servanthood, he told the disciples that one of them would betray him. Jesus declaring this commandment in the midst of this harsh reality shows that loving one another is more than just a warm sentiment. Jesus tells us that even though he will no longer be here living on earth, people will know that we are his disciples by the way we love one another. Jesus is calling us to action.
I know that Father Andrew will strive to live out this commandment of love in his life as a priest and in ministry, as all of us priests try to do, even in the midst of not only the joys and the successes, but also in the difficulties and struggles we can go through in our priesthood.
Blessings to Father Andrew and his family. Blessings to all of you this week. Father Lincoln.
No comments:
Post a Comment