Sixth Sunday of Easter
If we had to define God in just one word, it would surely be Love. “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), the Apostle St. John teaches us. Love is part of the divine essence, love drives the interrelationship between the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, love led the Creator to carry out His work; in short, it is the love of the Almighty that governs history. God does everything on account of His infinite love and, without love, He does nothing.
This love of God is one of the aspects that comes through most clearly in the Gospel for the 6th Sunday of Easter (Jn 14:23-29). Our Lord declares: “Whoever loves Me will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23). This is a bold statement, for Jesus asserts that God will dwell not only with, but within those who love Him. And if that were not enough, He promises to send the Apostles the Holy Spirit Himself, the substantial Love that unites the Father and the Son. Could there be any greater proof of His love for mankind?
Unfortunately, we tend to have a mistaken understanding of this love, thinking that the proof of God’s affection for us consists of Him giving us everything we need, offering us every kind of happiness, catering to our slightest whims. But the truth is quite the opposite. The more the Lord loves us, the more He sends us suffering. If He were to give us a life in which there were only joys, we would miss countless opportunities to earn merits with a view to Heaven, and we would rarely remember to look towards the Most High.
Was there any man more loved by God than Our Lord Jesus Christ in His human nature? And what was the greatest gift given to Him by the Father? The Cross.
Was there a woman more loved by God than the one chosen by Him as His Mother, Mary Most Holy? And what was the gift given to her by the Father? To accompany the atrocious death of her Divine Son, suffering with Him and mixing her own tears with His Precious Blood. And so it is with the rest of humanity.
Now, when a person loses this supernatural vision of suffering and begins to judge events with materialistic eyes, therefore outside of God’s perspective, the reality that surrounds them ends up losing its meaning, everything seems inexplicable and setbacks are seen as real tragedies.
Unfortunately, today’s world is increasingly forgetting God’s love and, as a result, is looking for happiness in a life free of suffering. The constant search for pleasures and comforts has become the keynote of contemporary society. Humanity has forgotten that the more we try to run away from suffering, the more we suffer.
The secret to achieving happiness lies in accepting our crosses, day after day. By doing this, we prove our love for God and reciprocate His love for us. ◊
