Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have Hope that someday we will join Him in heaven.  Pope John Paul II said many times: “Do not be afraid! There is Hope because of God.”  God’s Hope came to us in a special way through Jesus’ resurrection.

St. John taught us: “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us…” It’s awesome to think that God loves each and every one of us.  He loves us totally.  We didn’t earn His love; we receive it as a gift. 

Jesus told His disciples and us.  “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.  This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”  That sounds simple and straightforward, “…love one another as I love you” but loving as Jesus did is hard work.  St. Francis de Sales wrote: “Our Lord did not say, ‘Love those who are virtuous,” [He] said: Love one another as I have loved you,” without excluding anyone.

Loving others as Jesus did, takes perseverance, discipline and determination.  The Lord will give us the grace to fill our lives.  But how do we love one another?  St. Paul said: “Love is patient, love is kind.  It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things … So, faith, hope and love remain these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Our culture emphasizes, really idealizes, “Self,” “self-fulfillment;” but our call is to put others ahead of self.  For the rest of this week do not seek your own interests but put others first each day; if you do, you will experience the joy of God’s love in a profound yet simple way.

May God Be Blessed!  

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143]   God, You are our refuge and our hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]