The Mother’s Day readings are full of the word love, either spoken or acted out. In the First Reading we see how God chooses both Jews and Gentiles alike to pour out the Holy Spirit upon. God does not have favourites. God loves everyone. The Psalm speaks of the steadfast love of the Lord and how the people make a joyful noise throughout all the earth. The Second Reading extends the invitation to love one another, because Love is from God. This reading also reminds us that God first loved us. We are the creatures, not the Creator. God loved us in the making and loves us throughout our lives. We do not have to do anything to earn that Love. God gives it freely, abundantly and graciously.
The Gospel of John encourages us to abide in God’s love by living out the commandments—love as Jesus has loved. That is a pretty daunting comparison since Jesus died for us. He asks us to lay down our lives for our friends. We are elevated to friend status—no longer servants. We have been chosen and appointed to bear much fruit.
The temptation, of course, is to throw up our hands and wail we are not the Messiah and we cannot possibly love like that. We cling to our inadequacies and fears; we hold on to the feelings of incompetence and unworthiness. We hold back rather than step forward. Interestingly enough, the Gospel holds a gem that can be overlooked: Jesus has said these things to us so that joy may be in us, and so our joy will be complete. If we hold back, if we cling to the fears, if we stay in the comfort zone, then we never know Love and we never are completely joy-filled. We have a model of Love, one that is attainable. Life may have handed you mothers (or fathers or siblings) who do not love you. Step away from those models then and turn to One that brings joy. A spouse, partner or friend may have hurt you--or maybe you have betrayed someone and hurt them. Decide anew today. Abide in the Love that sustains you.
What choice will you make today about love?
Peace,
Suzanne
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