“And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.” What does this mean for us as Christians?
We should believe in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Does the fact that you are a Christian and attend Mass regularly allow you to say that you have fulfilled this command? No! To believe in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ means that we acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the incarnation of God so that we want to shape who we are and how we live according to the example and teaching of his life. We want to do that because we know that in doing that we will become like him – we will truly share in the divine life now in the hope of one day sharing in the fullness of that life forever. It is a daily struggle for us to conform our lives ever more faithfully to his life. Every day we have to renew that commitment to be faithful to the life and teaching of Christ in every aspect of our daily lives so that we can truthfully say that we do believe in the name of Jesus Christ – we truly believe that in him we have the way to eternal life.
To love one another just as he commanded us. Fulfilling this command is perhaps the hardest aspect of trying to live in conformity to the life and teaching of Jesus. Jesus told us to “love our enemies.” This was not a suggestion. It was a commandment! Are there persons in my life that I hate? Are there persons in my life that I have judged to be unworthy of my love, care or attention? If so, then I do not love others as Jesus commanded us to do. Do I judge other persons because of their race, their religion, their immigration status, or their social class? Do I treat all persons with respect and kindness? Do I have an active concern for the poor and the needy? Am I a person who offers forgiveness and fosters reconciliation? Every day we have to grow in our ability to love as Jesus loved – compassionately, mercifully, generously.
May the world see by our words and deeds that we really believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another as Jesus has loved us!