May 13, 2012
“Love one another as I love you”
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Four preachers were discussing their favorite translations of the Bible. The first one said, “I like the King James Version because of its beautiful English.” Another said, “I like the New American Standard version because it is closer to the original Greek and Hebrew.” The third one declared, “I like the Good News version because it’s so easy to read. The fourth preacher was silent for a moment then said, “I like my mother's translation best.” The other three men were surprised. They said, “We didn't know your mother made a translation of the Bible.” “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into everyday life with love. And it was the most beautiful and convincing translation I ever saw.”
Today’s scripture readings are filled with beautiful statements of love. Jesus says, “Love one another as I love you” As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us remember with gratitude that it is generally our mothers who practice the unconditional love of Jesus.
In the first reading, St. Peter teaches us that God shows no partiality in his love. God loves everyone, both the Jews and the Gentiles, and wants everyone to be saved through his son Jesus. That is why God welcomed the Roman centurion Cornelius as the first non-Jew to become a Christian. The reading tells us how God also allowed the Gentiles who heard Peter’s speech to receive the same Holy Spirit and his gifts that Peter’s Jewish audience had received on the day of Pentecost.
In the second reading, St. John defines God as love and explains that he expressed his love for mankind by sending his son to die for us “as expiation for our sins.” This divine love gives us the command as well as duty to love one another as we have been loved by God. Since God has loved us first, we can and should love God in return, love ourselves and love one another.
In today’s gospel, Jesus explains precisely how the disciples are to obey his commandment of love. It is just as he has obeyed his heavenly Father’s will, by fulfilling his commandments and remaining in his Father. Jesus’ unconditional, forgiving, selfless and sacrificial love for us must be the criterion of our love for others. The highest expression of this love is our willingness to lay down our lives as Jesus did. As his disciples, we are to be persons for others, sacrificing our time, talents and lives for others. This is what parents spontaneously do, sacrificing themselves, their time, talents, health and wealth for their children, or in other words, by spending themselves for their children.
We offer this weekend Mass on Mother’s Day, for all our mothers, whether they are alive or have gone to their eternal reward. The word “mom” is synonymous with sacrificial, agape love in its purest form as given by Jesus in his farewell speech: "Love one another as I love you.” On this Mother’s Day, let us gratefully admit the fact that we cannot return to our mothers, in the same measure, all the love that they have given us. Hence, let us thank our mothers today by lavishing our love on them if they are alive; and offering our prayers for them if they have gone for their eternal reward. Let us also thank all “spiritual mothers” and all the women who are fulfilling their motherly calling and foster the true dignity of every human being created in the image and likeness of God.
Mother’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate the joys of having a mother. I am blessed to have a wonderful mother. She has many wonderful qualities and she makes sacrifices about which I only know a tiny part. God gave me and my siblings a very good mother. Still, like any other mother she is not perfect. Mary, the mother of Jesus is the only perfect model of motherhood. The month of May is traditionally the month of Blessed Virgin Mary. Through Mary, the status of motherhood is glorified and sanctified.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Kochupurackal CMI