Do You Love Me?

 Reflection on Today’s Readings, Friday of 7th Week of Easter and St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, June 3rd, 2022

Texts: Acts 25: 13b-21; Psalm  103:1-2.11-12.19-20ab; John 21: 15-19

Love is life; without love we cannot live life to the fullest. We have to love, we have to love our neighbours, we have to love what we do, we have to love ourselves, Jesus even commands us to love our enemies. It is in love things become good. We can do unimaginable things for love. We could long for love, we could cry for love, we could give all for love and we could die for love. Love does not know burden, yoke,  stupidity, foolishness; for in love burden is sweet, yoke is easy, stupidity is smartness, foolishness is wisdom. Jesus Christ recognises that our devotion to what we do and doing it right are not dependent on gifts, talent and skills but on love. This is clear in the question He asked Peter when He wanted to entrust His flock into his hands. It is said, “he (Jesus) said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”  Peter was sure of his unreserved love for Jesus and also expected Jesus to have known it. Am I sure of my unreserved love for Jesus? So also you, are you sure of your unreserved love for Jesus?  

Paul, in today’s first reading, shows us what it means to love Jesus: it is to stand with Him and His gospel against all odds. It is our love for Him that often moves us towards Him and away from the world. The love of God becomes evident in us the moment we begin to realise that there is nothing to cling on to in this world, except Jesus. The love of God is in us when we realise the vanity in earthly things and know that they have meaning only in relation to God. We can be sure of our love for God the moment we begin to see that no amount of money can buy us from God, no amount of beauty can take us away from God, when we begin to see that power, authority, position, fame etc cannot buy us from God. Our love for God should be doubted if we can still compromise because of money, beauty, power, authority, position, fame, etc. Some of us are living in denial that we do not love God. Let us confront ourselves with the truth: I do not love God. Until we are able to confront ourselves with the truth, we will continue to be fake Christians, we will not grow. Just try and tell yourself the truth today and you will see how your love for God will grow.  

It is love that makes us do things right and gives meaning to our works. If we do not love what we do, we will corrupt it, we will not do it right. Loving what we do makes us keep its integrity. Festus was a man who loved his assignment. It is said of him thus: “And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ‘There is a man left prisoner by Felix; and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had opportunity to make his defence concerning the charge laid against him. ...’” Festus refused to be dissuaded from right thinking and ethics of his position. If I had loved being Christian, I would keep it from any stain and corruption, I would not comprise my Christian values.  

O God, who by the glorification of your Christ and the light of the Holy Spirit have unlocked for us the gates of eternity, grant, we pray, that, partaking of so great a gift, our devotion may grow deeper and our faith be strengthened. Amen (Collect)

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke