No other love

Over and over again, we are reminded of the one fundamental law of God: Love. To love God with all our heart, mind, and soul; and to love our neighbor as our self. (Mt. 22: 37 — 39; Mk. 12: 30 — 31; Lk. 10: 27 — 28). This is the what. In today’s liturgical readings, we are reminded of the how.

"Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth." (1 Jn. 3: 18).

"By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." (Jn. 15: 8).

And for all this to happen, we must be constantly united with the all-loving, compassionate Christ, whose "neighbor" is all of mankind. "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." (Jn. 15: 5). This does not mean that all of mankind must first be baptized Christians before they can experience unity with Christ. It means unity with what Christ lived and died for: love of God and neighbor. For the original, historical Christ, love in deed was the supreme mission from God – whoever you are, whatever race, culture, religion you belong to. Love in deed – the one, unifying force of all mankind. Innumerable branches indeed, united to the same vine.

It is in this connection that the very first encyclical of our new Pope, Benedict XVI, is so timely and meaningful. "Deus Caritas Est." "God Is Love."

"I wish in my first encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others." The Holy Father then expounds in profound and yet realistic and practical ways the meaning of both marital/family love and love of community.

Created by God as an embodied spirit, man/woman must respond in marital love to both "eros" and "agape." An integration of both erotic love and unconditional, spiritual and selfless love. "Only when both dimensions are truly united, does man attain his full stature. Only thus is love – eros – able to mature and attain its authentic grandeur."

Beyond and above marital/family love is man’s call to community of love, the Holy Father continues.

"The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25 — 37) offers two particularly important clarifications. Until that time, the concept of ‘neighbor’ was understood as referring essentially to one’s countrymen and to foreigners who had settled in the land of Israel; in other words, to the closely – knit community of a single country or people. This limit is now abolished. Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbor. The concept of ‘neighbor’ is now universalized, yet it remains concrete. Despite being extended to all mankind, it is not reduced to a generic, abstract and undemanding expression of love, but calls for my own practical commitment here and now."

"Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism. Love is free… A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak."

Our mission from the Lord is thus clear and explicit. And like the other laws of creation, this takes time – much, much time to fulfill. A lifelong mission, in fact, as it takes time for the sun to slowly rise and set; as it takes time for the seed to slowly grow into a tree and finally bear fruit. We need faith, determination, and patience.

Like the typical Filipina mother, who dedicates her whole life for love of her children. Sacrificial, selfless, unconditional love. We honor all such mothers today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day.

And yet, our mothers, as well as the rest of us, are called to love in deed beyond our own families, as we have seen above, and as we know from the life of Mary, our Blessed Mother. All our time and energy must be committed to this one and only law of the one and only God of all mankind. "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."

God is love. For as long as you and I cling to Him, we, too, are love. Amen.