Jn 14:21–26
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father; I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.”
Judas—not Judas Iscariot—asked Jesus, “Lord, how can it be that you will show yourself clearly to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; and we will come to him and live with him. But if anyone does not love me, he will not keep my words; and these words that you hear are not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
“I told you all this while I am still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”
REFLECTION
There are four words for love in ancient Greek: philia, mental love; storge, affection within the family; éros, sensual love; agápe, charity. “In the world we find éros without agápe; among believers we often find agápe without éros.” (R. Cantalamessa) Éros and agápe, the former goes up from man to God and the latter is from God to man, are not separated from each other. “This love of his (God’s, italic added) can be qualified without a doubt as éros, which however is also and totally agápe.” (Deus Caritas Est, 9)
In-between these two movements, there is the Incarnational love of God– Jesus Christ – who makes possible a synthesis of these loves. Jesus not only symphonizes God’s love for us and ours to him, but also our love for one another. If we don’t love our neighbor who is visible, how can we love God who’s invisible? A little girl, drawing a picture, was asked “What are you drawing?” She replied: “A picture of God!” “Nobody knows what God looks like,” her mother objected. “Well, when I am finished with this, then they will know what God looks like!” Jesus in each of us is God’s love in human form.
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