Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter A, 14 May 2023

Sixth Sunday of Easter | USCCB

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

This quote from today’s Gospel passage is taken from the section covering the Last Supper which spans four chapters of John’s gospel.

We are all familiar with lengthy farewells. They usually start in the kitchen after a good meal, and leftovers are wrapped up to send with our guests. Then we stand in the hallway as they are gathering their belongings, followed by hugs and kisses at the door. Then we follow our guests to their cars where we promise to get together soon followed by more hugs and kisses. Then we stand by their cars as they get in, wishing them safe travel. As they pull away, we stand and wave and throw more kisses as they toot their horns and finally drive away. We may still stand there as they go down the road and say what a good time we had with them.

In a similar manner, in Chapter 13 after washing of feet of the apostles Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” Jesus will go on to repeat “love one another” four more times through the next two chapters. Jesus talks about keeping his commandments six times in the same two chapters saying finally: “This I command you: love one another.”

 If there could be anything more central to the gospels, and to Jesus’ teachings it has to be, “love one another.” If there is anything more important in all of Scripture it has to be “love one another.” In fact “love one another” appears sixteen times in the New Testament.

The commandment to love sounds easy until we stop to realize what it means. In the New Testament whenever the word “love” appears, it is the word agape. For Christians, agape from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē)) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or eros with the sense of a sexual nature. We most commonly use the word “charity” when we refer to the love that is “agape.” So another way we could say “love one another,” is to say, “Be charitable to one another.”

Jesus concludes today’ passage saying, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” This is a round-about way of revealing the intimate relationship the Father has with the Son and is made known in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the community of all who love one another.

How are we faithful to Christ’s commandment to love one another on a personal level? How do we show this in our closest relationships? Are we selfish or do we put the needs of others ahead of our own?

How are we faithful to Christ’s commandment to love one another as a community of believers? Are we judgmental and do we exclude others based on arbitrary criteria? Do others seek to be members of our faith community because they see a living example of Christ’s love? Do we seek to bring meaningful change to a world suffering from injustice on so many levels?

In the Eucharist we celebrate today let us ask God for the grace to break down the barriers that keep us from fully loving one another and to take that love out into the world as we leave here today.