EUCHARIST LEADS US TO ETERNAL LIFE
A new way of love!
That is what Jesus gives us in the new Commandment; we are to love others as He
loved us. What is the essence of this new Commandment? Its core is rooted in
the fact that true love is sacrificial; it gives all to the beloved! There is
no greater proof in love than the sacrifice of one's life for the sake of
another. Jesus Christ proved His love by giving His life for us. He knew the
joy and contentment of a life fully surrendered to God and consumed with the
ultimate gift of love.
Every command that God
has given to us, either what to do or what to refrain from doing, is for our
well being. As expressed by Preface IV in the Liturgy, "For, although You
have no need of our praise, yet our thanksgiving is itself Your gift..."
All that our heavenly Father asks of us is to improve the quality of our lives
during our journey. The quality of our life matters to Him just as the
well-being of every creature matters.
Isn't the whole Bible filled with evidence of how God wants to take part
in each of our lives in order that He might show us how to follow the right
path?
We hear St. Peter
preaching in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The rules and
laws that the Jews were saddled with before the coming of Jesus were a burden
to them. All the manmade rules had become too heavy for them. With that in
mind, our willingness to follow the Commandments is best understood as an
expression of our gratitude for Christ's Eucharistic Presence leading us to
eternal life.
In today's
Responsorial Psalm we boldly acclaim, "Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to
all the nations" (Ps. 96:3). We sing a new song and bless His name
throughout the world! May we keep the combination of love, obedience, and joy
intact.
Let us remember that
keeping the Commandments is an expression of love!