How has Jesus loved you? In John 13:34 Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”
So – how has Jesus loved you? It is truly overwhelming to contemplate. His love is so vast. It is unconditional. His love is complete. It is so great that He gave His entire life for you. In chapter 15 of John’s Gospel we learn that no man has greater love than this–to lay down one’s life for a friend.
God loves us so much that He gave us His son. And Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross. And then He rose, defeating death for us so that by believing in Him, and having faith in His resurrection, we may have eternal life. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit and the church. He gives us Himself in the Eucharist. He gives us everything we are and all that we have. This is His legacy.
How can we ever give and love like that? Love is a verb. It is what we do for and give to others. Archbishop Aymond says that we show how much God loves us by how we live our lives. We live to love others, and we give to those we love. We love when we receive God’s gifts and make something beautiful of our lives as Jesus and the saints did. We love by giving our time, talent, and treasure to serve others and build God’s kingdom.
Think about the presents you give. How do your gifts to family and friends compare to the gifts you give to colleagues and acquaintances? How do your gifts to God compare? Where does God rank on your list of loved ones? How does the way you live and the way you use and give back the gifts He gives you demonstrate how much you love Him?
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