Today is Mother’s Day, and it is appropriate that the Gospel reminds of God’s Love. For most of us, our earthly mothers are the first reflections of God’s love for us.
They are self-sacrificing and do everything they can to will our good. Following the command Jesus says “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”.
Maternal love is usually right up there in the different types of love. And the homilist reminds us that Jesus not only says to love one another, but to do it “as I have loved you”.
He has set the standard of love for us.
He died on the cross for us.
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
He knows that if we just define love the human way, we all have different standards. Some of us think of love as a feeling or empathy (Storge), friendship (Philia) or romantic love (eros). However He wants us to attempt to love one another unconditionally (agape).
It is a tall order. But we are to try because He encourages us “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.”
So we are called to be Christ to others, just as hopefully, our mothers have been a reflection of God’s love to us.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the unsung heroes of our lives.
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