Wednesday, the Sixth Week of Lent

    “I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  (John 13: 34-35).

   Jesus did many things during His ministry on earth.  He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured the lepers and raised some from death to live.  When we begin to better understand His teachings we realize that all of these miracles are signs of His love.  Yes, they were foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament and gave proof to the fact that He is the Messiah, but love is the source of these actions.

   Just as He performed these miracles during His ministry He continues to perform both physical and spiritual miracles every day for all who seek Him.  It is out of His love that these things are done.  If we wish to follow Him we must strive to emulate His love toward others just as He instructed the disciples to love one another.  We have no claim to His love yet it is given out of His mercy.  In the same way we must freely give our love to others.  Even those we feel do not deserve it.

   At the last supper Jesus told His disciples, “Where I am going you know the way.’  Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’  Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 4-6).  They would come to understand that His way is the way of love.  The Holy Spirit would instruct them and teach them of this love.

   Jesus defines love in its’ highest form.   Everything He did and continues to do is out of love for us.  If we practice love of God and love of all of God’s children we are close to heaven.  This is the kind of love Jesus wants us to give others.  If we can do that, we will rest with Him in eternal life.

   A better understanding of the remarkable love of our Lord is one of the greatest lessons we can learn through our Lenten observance.  Love one another as He has loved us.  It is the most perfect way to follow our Lord.