We love, because we are loved!

WORD 2day: Thursday after  Epiphany Sunday

January 7, 2021: 1 John 4: 19- 5:4; Luke 4: 14-22

To love, is not an extraordinary quality. For us sons and daughters of a God who is love, love has to be our essential nature! The fundamental question is not whether I am ready to love or not; it is whether I am a Christian or not! If I am a 'Christ'ian, then love has to be my very nature. Where there is no love, there is no God...where there is no God, there is no Spiritual life! True spirituality is true love. 

The correlation of two readings brings out an all important point: to love is a charism given by the Spirit to each of us; to love is a commitment on behalf of my neighbour. That difficulties and sacrifices are involved, is a matter of fact. But that in no way can take away the call that I have, to love. 

We love because we have to! That is what shall define our identity as children of God, as disciples of Christ and as apostles of the Spirit. We are given a commandment to love, a commandment that determines whether we belong to Christ or not - if you keep my commandments, you shall be my friends and the Father and I shall come to you and dwell with you!

We love because God loved us first, God loves us still and God will always love us! When we don't love the other, we not only hate them, but we conceal ourselves from the love of God, which flows freely towards you and me! When we are not loving from within, we will not be in a position to experience the love that comes from God. 

We love, because we are loved! We love, because that is our identity! We love because without that we shall be what we are called to be.