Love One Another . . .
Monday of the Fifth Week in Lent ~ 3/27/23
I will not let Satan keep me from my commitment to pray with St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi daily. It is nearly 1am on 3/28, but I am still sitting at my desk at work - trying to get things wrapped up, so this will still be Monday’s offering. I’m working on Kairos time, and Monday’s rarely sync with Chronos time! Try as I might, things/tasks just seem to be multiplying rather than reducing! But, alas, today, I will still write, but, make it brief.
In every wisdom tradition that I researched during my graduate studies, I learned that we all have one ‘commandment’ in common. Some express it in the positive and others in the negative, but the message is still the same in all the languages and versions: “Do unto others as you would have done to you.” -or- “Don’t do to others what you would not want done to you.” -or- some slight variation of that theme.
Even more simply put: “Love one another!” Why can we not manage to do that?!?!?!
The Old Testament Hebraic laws numbered over 600! God saw how they were not being adhered to, so reduced them to a more managable number. Moses received a that succinct version - 10! . . . from over 600! - when he brought down the tablets from Mt. Sinai with The 10 Commandments etched into the stones.
The evangelist, Mark, tells us that these ten commandments can be fulfilled in Jesus’ Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 13:30-31)
When Jesus gave His New Commandment to His followers right before His death, (notice - a single one!) he must have been frustrated when even the 10 were effectively being ignored! He also must have known that if they simply followed this new commandment, there would be no need for any others!
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) Even they had a hard time, being there with Him, in that time and in that place - Judas still betrayed Him; Peter still denied Him; and, only John was mentioned among the Apostles who were at the foot of the Cross.
The caveat: “Just as I have loved you”, is the real clincher, though! But isn’t that is the goal of our life? . . . to learn to love as Jesus loved, despite how others treat us? . . . as His Father in Heaven loved - pure, unselfish, unconditional love. Or, as Mary and Joseph loved. Or, as any number of saints and holy men and women loved Christ above all else, so that others were drawn to Christ through their actions.
Let us strive to love one another. Period. Just love one another.
How can you do this in a meaningful way that will make a difference in someone else’s life? It will have an effect on yours as well!
We need so much more unity on this planet - within our homes and neighborhoods, within our jobs/workspaces, within our communities, within our state, our country, our world! Let us be one person who strives to make a difference - one drop in the water that sends out ripples of love and peace far and wide!
May your Lenten journey continue to be blessed - you don’t have much farther to travel, but the hard part is coming where you will need strength to make it to Easter Sunday’s victorious celebration.