Sixth Sunday of Easter:B

"LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU"

First Reading: Acts. 10:25-26,34-35, 44-48
Second Reading: 1 Jn . 4:7-10
Gospel Readng: Jn 15: 9-17

   * First Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. This passage describes the events of the first non Jew, a Romman Centurian Cornelius and his household received baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and became the first gentile converts to become Christians.While St. Peter was preaching to the assembly those gathered , the Holy Spirit desecended on them and they began to praise God in various languages. The baptism according to Peter ,cannot be refused to those who have received the Holy Spirit.
This shows that God is not selective in his love. His salvation is offered to all.

   *Second Reading is from the first letter of St. John. Apostle John exhorts us to love one another for we are children of God whose very essence is love. God proved this when out of the infinite love He sent His only son to give us eternal life and make an expiation for sins of the whole human race. This passage contains a very important message made about God, namely that He is LOVE.

"As the Father has loved Me, So have I Loved YOU"

Today's Gospel reading from St. John too speaks of Father's love for Jesus which is the basis of his love for his disciple. First of all, Jesus asks his disciples "Love one another as I have loved you"
Jesus communicates to us that he loves us with the love of His Father. The love of the Father, makes Jesus his "Beloved Son" and allows him to give up his life for the sake of humanity. In this way Jesus teaches us the values of love and how to love.
Secondly the love of Jesus is a fruitful love because the love does the most remarkable act of laying down his own life. Jesus' death and resurrection gives us a new identity as these liberate us from the slavery of sin and death and makes us worthy of the Kingdom of heaven.
The essence of Christian living is given in today's liturgy that is following Jesus and translating is commandment of love into our own lives. He calls us his friends. But to be a friend of Jesus would mean that we are ready to sacrifice ourselves the way Jesus himself did.