Jesus Does Not Invoke Fear

 

we cannot love Jesus without keeping His commandments.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Monday of 5th Week of Easter and the Memorial of St. Catherine, April 29th, 2024
Texts: Acts 14:5-18; Psalm 115:1-4,15-16; John 14:21-26 

Jesus Christ tells us, today, that we cannot keep His commandments unless we love Him. In His words: “He who does not love me does not keep my words”. Put differently, he who loves me keep my words. This means that the presence of Jesus Christ does not invoke fear. Human beings also keep commandments out of fear. Since the presence of Jesus does not invoke fear, the only way we can keep His commandments is by love. 

Another message is that we cannot love Jesus without keeping His commandments. This is because His commandments flow from His nature as love. His commandments are of love. His commandments are just and true. This makes the claim to love God without keeping His commandments a lie. We are liars when we claim to love God but do not keep His commandments. 

For those who love God keeping His words is automatic

We do not just keep the commandments to show that we love Him; we automatically keep the commandments out of love of Him. This is as we love those who love us. For those who love God keeping His words is automatic. The commandments of God are no longer burdensome but sweet and easy. There is no burden in love but joy and gladness. This makes it clear that we fail to keep God’s commandments because we do not love Him. 

We should no longer be surprised why Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in spite of danger of death. It was because of their love for God. They could not stop preaching Jesus Christ because of their love for Him. The love of God urged them on. Just like Paul and Barnabas let us love God, that we may keep His commandments. 

The MMemorial of St. Catherine

St. Catherine, whose memorial is today, loved God and sought perfection. Seeking perfection she entered the Third Order of Dominicans. She was an agent of reform. “She wrote letters to many major public figures and carried on a long correspondence with Pope Gregory XI, urging him to reform the clergy and the administration of the Papal States. She burned with the love of God and her neighbour” (Universalis).  

St. Catherine was an agent of peace. “As an ambassador she brought peace and harmony between cities. She fought hard to defend the liberty and rights of the Popes and did much for the renewal of religious life” (Universalis). 

Prayer  

O God, who set Saint Catherine of Siena on fire with divine love in her contemplation of the Lord’s Passion and her service of your Church, grant, through her intercession, that your people, participating in the mystery of Christ, may ever exult in the revelation of his glory. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke