THE POWER OF LOVE. (Homily for April 10, 2016. Third Sunday of Easter. Year C.)


Bible Study: Acts 5, 27 to 32. Revelation 5, 11 to 14 and John 21, 1 to 19.
Love is a four letter word, yet it is so often misused, misunderstood and misrepresented. In fact, while its meaning seems very straight-forward, love is different things to different people and at different times too. Quite often, we Christians talk about how much we love God and we sings all kinds of songs that say we are lovers of God but the truth that we do not really mean what we say from the depths of our hearts and when it comes to the practical application of loving God, we fail woefully.

Consider this fact, if you love a person, a fellow human being like yourself, you suddenly realize that you are constantly thinking about that person. You become devoted to the person in that from rising in the morning till dawn, you are looking for how to talk to that person or just be with that person. But then, we who say we love God, how often do we think about God? If we really love God, why then do we miss our prayers? If we love God, how come we are looking for how to spend quality time alone with God every day!

Jesus said it plainly: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14, 15. Love is not something that can exist in your heart without affecting your conduct. Love is a fire, it begins right there deep inside you and leaves you completely restless until you do that which your lover demands. And if God is the one you actually love, then you wouldn’t fall short of any of this commandments. While we sing about how much we love God, the presence and existence of sin in our lives is a betrayal of our so-called love.

Every sin is a betrayal! Every time we sin, we deny God; we deny that we know who God is or that we know what he desires of us. Every sin is a pointer that there are other things or persons that we love more than God. As such, it is not enough for us to simply say: “I am sorry, I wouldn’t do it again” instead, we are to take out time to ask ourselves the very question Jesus asked Peter in our Gospel passage this morning. How deep is my love for Jesus? Do I really love God? Is my love of God real? Or is it just a matter of words? Unless we fully answer this question, we are simply going to have ourselves falling again and again into sin.

Before the arrest of Jesus, Peter was just like most of us, he bragged about his love for Jesus without thinking of what it implies. When Jesus predicted his arrest and the fact that his sheep would be scattered, Peter said vehemently: “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” But Jesus insisted “Peter, the truth is, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “No!” Peter replied. “Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!” Matthew 26, 33 to 35.

That Jesus had to repeat the same question three times to Peter in our Gospel passage this morning, it is because he wanted to make up for the three times that he fell. “Peter, do you love me?” Before a little girl, Peter said “No” now Jesus gives him a chance to say “Yes”. “Peter, do you love me?” Before a young man, Peter said “NO” for fear of losing his life, now he had an opportunity to say “Yes.” “Peter, do you love me? Before some bystanders, Peter swore that he had never seen Jesus before, now He would have to face Jesus and answer “Yes.”

Notice that each time, Jesus asked Peter this question, he also added: “Feed my lambs.” Our love for God cannot just be a matter of words. It has to be practical. If you actually love god then you should be able to feed people around you with Jesus by your words and by the example of your life. If you actually love God then you wouldn’t keep quiet about Jesus even if you are warned not to do so by the powers that be. Consider the boldness of the Apostles in today’s first reading. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority”. Acts 5, 28 to 29.

By their response, it shows that they were prepared to die rather than disobey God. As John explains: “Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. 1 John 2, 3 to 5. By their determination to obey no one else but God alone, they displayed the height of their love for God and to crown it all, they even rejoiced for receiving some lashes of the cane for the sake of God.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us stop saying that we love God if our we do not mean what we say and let us realize that the love of God is something that demands a whole lot from us; our time, our resources and above all, our unalloyed obedience to God and God alone! Even if it demands our very lives, the love of God should be Number One in all we do.

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, I love you, deepen my love for you more and more and may I never betray or deny you anymore. Amen.


God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.

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