What's new about this commandment? The OT laws also include the command to love your neighbor as yourself. “As I have loved you.” Sacrificial love, which rejoices in Truth.
Central vocation of every Catholic is to love; love as is defined and lived out by our Blessed Lord.
How do we generate vocations to love as Christ commands? We need to sanctify our society with love. We need to work toward the holiness and transformation of our society. We work toward this goal empowered by the love of Christ which is generously poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit each time we embrace Jesus in Holy Communion.
Example: Driving someone home after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass even though its out of one's way. After all, didn't Jesus teach us that if we do good only to those to whom we expect to receive something in return then we are no better then the tax collectors and sinners.
Love is the answer, but not just any kind of love for as we know there are unnatural forms of love, disordered forms of love and forms of love that are indifferent to the call of truth.
Love can transform our society, but we must be its voice, hands and feet.
Does our use of technology really reflect sacrificial love? Have we become so enticed by technology that our familiarity with it and our dependance upon it have blinded us to the needs of one another and its effects upon our society. Has the convenience of technology in some ways stunted our primary growth and call to be disciples of sacrificial love.
Example of Technology that we take for granted can be a cause for reflection on sacrificial love.
The all famous ATM machine-aren't they the cause of some of the unemployment that affects our society, even though they are a great convenience.
But here's the question: Would we be willing to stand an extra 10-15 minutes in a line up waiting for a bank teller if it meant it would create more jobs?
Are we willing to live out the command to love as Jesus loves us even when it requires sacrifice and inconvenience? Is it not the true nature of love to draw one self out of their own shell so as to live life as a gift.
How are we as the Body of Christ in this world being instruments through which Christ can say, “See, I am making all things new.”
The Spirit at work in us is greater then the spirit at work in the world. We have the power to bring about change but we must come together as believers committed to the love that requries personal and communal sacrifice.
What kind of world, society and city are we creating or allowing to be created? It is one that truly highlights this new command of Jesus?
We have a voice and the command of Jesus Christ to us is that we use it to transform this world, society and city by our sacrificial love, a love that will birth to a wisdom that cannot be confounded?
For such change, for such transformation to be brought about we need people, especially the lay faithful whose particular vocation is to transform society through the grace they receive from this altar, to take charge in society by bringing our Catholic values to every sector of society. How are we teaching the young to recognize this need and how are we supporting them in answering it. Who here will take the initiate to bring about some change?
This is not some pie in the sky theological homily. We have the power, the power of the Risen Lord, we must not shrink away from using it. No one lights a lamp and hides it under a table.
Jesus says to us today, “if we have love for one another, his sacrificial love, then everyone will know that we are His disciples.”
Does this city of St. John's know that we are Christ's disciples?
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