WEEKLY REFLECTION

DO THEY KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE?

Most of you know that I am not a singer, but when I was reflecting on the Gospel reading for this Sunday a song kept going through my mind. The song is “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” I admit that I did Google the song to read the lyrics. I realized that the lyrics really do help to explain what Jesus meant when he said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. God will also glorify Him in Himself and God will glorify Him at once.” Secondly Jesus tells us, “As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love is a word that’s ambiguous, it’s a strong word, sometimes it’s a word we are afraid to use. So, in the world today do people know we are Christians? Do people know we are Disciples of Christ by our love? So often we only think of love as a human emotion, something that is inside of us like that feeling you get when you first meet someone that you're attracted to. But love is more than a feeling; it's a choice. Love is a deliberate action. Love is who we are as Christians. Love is our identity. Do all our actions and choices glorify God? Is the way we live our lives helping others to see God and leading them to heaven?

The song says, “We will walk with each other. We will walk hand in hand, and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.” When we love sharing the Gospel, it can become a passion and bring fullness to our lives. When we do not love what we do, it all becomes a burden. When we do not love others, they too become a burden. When we fail to love others and only love ourselves, even God becomes a burden in our lives. When we love, as Jesus loves, we come to see each other as gifts. We become true companions and helpmates. When we face hardships and persecutions, we have someone who walks with us.

We really are on the journey together. The next verse of the song says, “We will work with each other. We will work side by side, and we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.” Jesus told us this when He gave us the two greatest Commandments: You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. And You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

So let us follow Jesus’ example and love like He did. Let us show an interest in others, and take care of others by living out radical mercy and forgiveness. We can protect human dignity by doing Corporal Works of Mercy for the least of our brothers so that no one has to ask or beg.

Let us walk and work together to love as Christ has loved us. When we make our love a choice, an action to help others, that is how we truly glorify the Lord by our lives. It’s then the world will know we are Christians by our love.

Viva Christo Rey
Deacon Gary