Love Is A Commitment To Good

 

Love does no wrong to a neighbour

Reflection  on Today’s Readings, Wednesday of 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, November 8th, 2023
Texts: Romans 13:8-10; Psalm 112:1-2,4-5,9; Luke 14:25-33 

St. Paul,  in today’s first reading, shows that where there is love, there is no law. He says, “he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.” He adds, “Love does no wrong to a neighbour”. Law exists to prevent man from practicing vices or doing wrongs to one another. Hence, the existence of law affirms the corruption in human nature; it shows the wound we are nursing. The wounds in human nature that are yet to heal are vices, sins, wickedness, etc. Love is the medicine that can heal the wound, for it does no wrong to neighbours. 

If love does no wrong to a neighbour, it is not just a feeling or passion, which is fleeting. If love is a matter of emotion, the understanding of wrong will be subject to change. Love is a commitment to good. When we love we need to give up our sentiments. Hence, Jesus says, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Being the disciples of Jesus is to love Him. We cannot be His disciples without loving Him. 

The force of love is from within

Love, being a commitment to good, is intentional. Its merit comes from the intentionality. Jesus says, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” The force of love is from within, it is not just an external force moving us to act in a way.  

We cannot love a person and wish to destroy him/her because he/she abandons us. That is not the kind of love God expects from us. Such love is selfish and common in the world. God wants us to love our neighbours for the sake of goodness. God loves us for our sake, not for His own sake. God exists without us. Love must be bereft of sentiments. Hence, Jesus says, “So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” We cannot truly love until we are ready to give up sentiments. The essence of love is goodness.  

Prayer  

God our Father, thank You for opening our eyes to see the wounds of our human nature, fill our hearts with love to heal the wounds of our human nature. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke