By Bishop Gerard Holohan
Former Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, said last year on Q&A that, while he appreciated the teachings of Jesus, he could not understand the point of Jesus’ terrible sufferings. No one on the panel could enlighten him.
At Easter, we remember Jesus taught during the Last Supper that He was going to die because of the depth of His love for every human being. He said,
No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
Jesus came to draw all people into personal relationship with Himself – and with God. To win people’s love, He chose to show He would give even His life for them.
Jesus’ love was heartfelt
It is very easy to think of Jesus’ love in abstract terms. In reality, His love was heartfelt, even for those who rejected Him. Jesus’ followers could see this when He cried while looking at Jerusalem because so many in that city rejected Him – some even plotting His death.
As he drew near and came in sight of the city, he shed tears over it… (Luke 19:41)
His were the tears of a rejected lover.
We see many dramas on TV when characters are brokenhearted because the one they loved does not love them. The deeper the love, the greater the sorrow when it is not returned. We see the emotion of Jesus, too, for those who did love Him in return when He went to the tomb of Lazarus, His friend.
Jesus was greatly distressed, and with a profound sigh He said, ‘Where have you put him?’… Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ (John 11:33, 35-36)
Why should we reflect?
We need to reflect every Easter on the ‘why’ for the sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus. One reason why we should do so is that no one can afford to lose sight of how Jesus feels about him or her. We need to ask ourselves how well we are responding to Jesus’ love.
Second, there can be no doubt that Jesus would cry over those who are rejecting His love today. They may be our own family members and friends; our children and grandchildren. We need to remember how Jesus feels about them so we will fulfil our Christian mission to them. This involves trying at least to tell them how Jesus feels about them when opportunities arise.
Third, we need to reflect upon Jesus’ love because He taught that every parishioner needs to love other parishioners. He taught that His followers are revealed by their love for each other.
It is by your love for one another that everyone will recognise you as my disciples. (John 13:35)
If we asked the average people in our town what they saw as the main characteristic of our parish, what would be their answer? What examples would they see in our parish of community of love? How would our parish measure up to ways St Paul taught that parishioners should love each other?
… you are to be clothed in heartfelt compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other… (Colossians 3:12-13)
… lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love. (Ephesians 4:1-2)
How, for example, do we in our parish support each other? Can I say I love my fellow parishioners if I don’t even stay after Mass to get to know them? St Paul pleaded with the early Christian communities never to treat each other in unloving ways.
… you also must give up all these things: anger, hot temper, malice, abusive language… (Colossians 3:8)
… antagonism and rivalry, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, factions and malice. (Galatians 20)
Empowered by Jesus to love
The love of a Christian community is as strong as the love of its individual members. The answer to the question ‘How Christian is our parish?’ starts with the answer to another question: ‘How Christian is my love?’ There is no getting away from the fact that forgiveness is hard. So is overcoming jealousy, rivalry, judgementalness, anger and quarrels.
This is why Jesus only gave His own love commandment during the Last Supper. He prepared His Apostles to understand this commandment by revealing earlier in His ministry the meaning of the Old Testament teachings on love as people came to understand the power He offers.
First, as people began to grasp that, in Jesus, they could draw on the power of the Kingdom of God, He taught them the Golden Rule:
So always treat others as you would like them to treat you (Matthew 7:12).
This reversed the Old Testament Silver Rule, but it still was an Old Testament teaching:
Do to no one what you would not want done to you. (Tobit 4:15)
Second, when revealing that He would rise from the dead and that His disciples should follow Him in the path to Resurrection by taking up their life crosses, he taught the two greatest Old Testament commandments. These were to love God and to love one’s neighbour as oneself. (Luke 10:27)
Thirdly, Jesus revealed His own love commandment during the Last Supper when He gave the Eucharist.
This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)
This love is possible only with a personal ‘oneness’ with Jesus – something for which He taught the Eucharist is essential. (John 6:56) We open ourselves to this power as we bring to the Mass our efforts to forgive; to overcome jealously and rivalries; judgementalness, anger and quarrels.
Easter resolution
Let every parishioner in the Bunbury Diocese renew his or her effort to live the love commandment of Jesus. Then the parish community will grow in love and be recognised by others as Christ’s disciples.
May parishioners come to know each other so that their love for each other won’t be abstract, but heartfelt like the love of Jesus. And may this love move each to teach those who have given up religious practice about Jesus crying for their love for Him.
May we all grow more aware of how Jesus feels about each of us this Easter.
Happy Easter!