Thursday of 5th week of Easter 28th April 2016
“I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.”
Ac.15,7-21 Ps.95 Jn.15,9-11
“I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Remain in my Love.”
Jesus introduces his disciples into the perfect Joy that he shares with his Father so that the Love, with which the Father loves Him, may dwell in us.
Christian Joy means to be opened up to this Infinite Love of God and to be possessed by Him.When Mary Magdalene leaves the tomb after being turned over by the announcement of the Risen Lord Jesus, she is ’all moved and full of joy’ and she ran to take the happy news to the disciples. And here we have Jesus coming to her and saying ’Greetings!’ It is the joy of the greeting that is offered to her : Jesus is alive, He is the One who overcame evil, sin and death. We too need to receive God’s Love freely, this Love is given in total gratuity of God’s Infinite Love.
’As the Father has loved me, I too have loved you’ said Jesus.
The Father’s Love for the Son is Immense, tender, deep. We discover how much the Father loves us in the way Jesus Himself loved us. It is through grace, in a totally free way, that we are loved.
The Apostle Peter reminds us : ’Indeed, it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe we are saved!’
“If you keep my commandments you will remain in my Love, just as I have kept my father’s commandments and remain in his Love.”
This deep Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit who makes of us God’s children, capable of living and of tasting his Goodness, by addressing ourselves to Him : ’Abba’, darling Daddy.
Joy is the sign of his Presence and of his action in us. We have discovered the Kingdom as a hidden treasure and we hide it in the secret of Love. Finding and conserving this as a treasure of spiritual joy comes from union with Jesus. We follow Him in a decisive choice and we bank on Him.
The Father loves the Son, Jesus does not stop reminding us for one instant :
’Whoever has sent me is with me; he didn’t leave me alone because I always do what He wishes.’
We want to be maintained in his Love, obey his commandments, and to love the Will of the Father.
God has regenerated us, ’sanctified’ by His Love. He has given us happiness whereas we were sinners and were unhappy.
To recognise in us the gift of God is to enter into an attitude of receptivity and gift - ’Your joy will be perfect’ Jesus tells us.
The Love of God needs an attentive heart, a reception to God in absolute gratuity. Not only is God the One who gives us Love but He is also the one who can keep what he gives. We enter into the gratuity of Love by letting ourselves be immerged by Him, by His Love.
“I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.”
Christian Love is born from the knowledge of knowing we are loved by Jesus who was made man, who gave his Life for us, who overcame evil and death.We place our joy in Him, in Jesus who loves us, who has overcome evil and death. We place our joy in Him, in Jesus who loves us.
Joy is the fruit of a faith which recognise Jesus’ Presence, His Love.
’I have told you this so that my joy be in you and that you may be full of joy.’
This is how God has us hollow out a space for Him, to manifest the relationship of Love that we have for Him, through permanent prayer, for us to find Happiness in this way.
In Jesus’ presence, in adoration, Heaven opens up and we can let Jesus’ Love overflow in us, in thanksgiving. Here, we can recognise the gratuity of God’s Love. In fact we encounter a God who is Tender, merciful and compassionate!
In this time where we prepare for Pentecost, may the Holy Spirit manifest to us how much the Father loves us.
Lord, increase in us faith in your Word, in your Love.
THURSDAY of the 5th WEEK of EASTER
“I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Remain in my Love.” God’s Love for the Son is Immense, Tender and Deep. Let us listen to this confidence Jesus makes, in a most intimate way, on Maundy Thursday : “As the Father loved me, I too have loved you.” The book of Proverbs affirms this mystery very well, before the beginning of His works ’I was at his side as a masterpiece. Day after day I found my delight in him playing in front of him.’ This is indeed how God loves us.He announces it to us by adding, ’playing throughout the whole earth and finding my delight in the sons of men. ’
We discover how much the Father loves us in the way Jesus reveals to us his Love. We are loved thanks to grace, and this is completely gratuitous. The apostle Peter reminds us : ’In fact, it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe we are saved!’ We are called to receive freely God’s Love and this is hard for us, to enter into the total free gift of God’s Love. We are always ready to ’show’ our love, or ’to do something’. Now, Gods Love is completely free!’ As the Father has loved me, I too love you ’says Jesus.
’If you keep my commandments, you remain in me as I have kept the commandments of my Father and remain in His Love.’ The Father loves the Son and Jesus reminds us of it at each moment ’He who sent me is with me; He doesn’t leave me alone for I always do what pleases him.’ ’This is my Beloved Son, in whom I have put all my Love.’ Jesus replies ’Abba! Father!’ Now he tells us ’As the Father has loved me, I too love you.’ Our wish is to remain always in His Love, obey his commandments and love God’s Will ’I always do what is pleasing in his sight.’ God regenerated us, ’sanctified’ us by his Love. He gave us Happiness whereas we were sinners and unhappy. Jesus tells us ’Remain in my Love.’ This means to pray always and everywhere. To recognise in us God’s gift is to enter into an attitude of receptivity and gift! Then Jesus said, ’Your joy will be perfect.’ God’s Love needs an attentive heart and this needs to be received God as an
absolute gift. When trials come and the winds blow, we are likely to forget God and so we cry out, ’Take care of your gifts! Take care of your Name in us.’ Not only is God the one who gives but he is also He who can keep whatever he has given.We enter into gratuitous love, letting ourselves be immerged in Him.
’I have told you this so that my Joy may be in you and that your joy be complete.’
To recognise in us ’the inner person’ and to strengthen it, to enter into God’s Wisdom that has sanctified us- this is our main task! But we can feel weak and fickle, shall we lose his friendship? By no means, for Jesus won’t let us be tempted beyond our strength! If ever we do move far from his commandments we shall ask for the grace to come back to him like the prodigal son, turning towards the Sacraments to receive the forgiveness of our sins. ’’I, too, have loved you,’ says Jesus’ I have told you this so that my Joy be in you and that you be filled with Joy.’
God has us hollow a space for him within ourselves, to manifest the relationship we have with him in prayer and so to find Happiness. In adoration, in the Presence of Jesus, Heaven opens up and we can allow to flow into us the abundant graces offered to us. In the prayer of thanksgiving ,we recognise the gratuitous Love of God. In fact, we encounter a God Who is Tender, Merciful and Compassionate! In this Season, as we prepare ourselves for the Feast of Pentecost, we ask the Holy Spirit to manifest just how much the Father loves us. This is an act of faith which re-establishes us in the truth of our relationship with God.