Community Word: God’s love empowers us to make disciples of all nations.
Order:“Remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9b)
Reflection:
The Community Word for the month is – God’s love empowers us to make disciples of all nations. He has commissioned all of us to proclaim the Good News of His love to all people. The very nature of God is love. He is love and this is the reason why He wants all of us to know about His love and be affected by His love and be part of His kingdom. We are loved by God as manifested by giving us His only Son to save us – through the ministry, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In our gratefulness, we respond to His commandment and share the Good News of Salvation to His people, by our loving service and witnessing to Christ. We are called and empowered to love one another as He has loved us. And His order for us is “Remain in my love,” (Jn 15:9b).
The theme for the 6th Sun. of Easter is – We make disciples of all nations when we bear much fruit that will remain. The only way to bear fruit in the Kingdom of God is to live our lives in Jesus and in imitation of Jesus. We are called and chosen by God to continue the work and ministry of Jesus. Once we experience God’s love in our life, we should be able to testify to this love and bear fruit, to announce it by our caring service to others and glorify and honor God in each thought and action of our daily life. Christian life is life in Jesus, life in relationship with Him under the guidance of the His Spirit with the Father. We are promised – “whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you,” (Jn 15:16b).
The Theme for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is – We make disciples of all nations when we open ourselves to God’s call in spreading the Good News. If we truly love God, we will listen to Him and open our hearts to answer His call to share the Good News. It is indeed a great task but we do not have to go far in this undertaking. We can start right where God has placed us, and Jesus will always be with us in His Spirit as we carry out our divine mission. We may feel underserving of this task but with His Spirit, we live not only with hope but also with strength as He tasks us to accomplish a mission. Christ is working through us and therefore, we should not fear to undertake great things for His Kingdom. Jesus assures us – “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,”(Acts 1:8a).It is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Helper, to empower and enable us to spread the Good News.
The Theme for Pentecost Sunday is: We make disciples of all nations when we use our spiritual gifts to unite the Body of Christ. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles is what happened on Pentecost. They were empowered with varied spiritual gifts, giving them courage and strength. Because of this, they went out courageously to the whole world and proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. The same Holy Spirit is now working in our life and unites us in His Church, the Body of Christ, through His gifts.The Holy Spirit equips us to succeed in the tasks given to us to love and serve others, even in the face of many challenges and obstacles. We have been transformed and as our minds are renewed, we manifest the presence of the Holy Spirit as true Christians, bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Holy Spirit shows us what the word of God means and He reveals to us the truth. In times of opposition and oppression, the Holy Spirit continues to be our Advocate, calling on all Christian generations to come forward, to stand up and be counted as Christ’s witnesses. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that His peace will always be with us as we have His Spirit in our hearts, telling us – “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,” (Jn 20:22a).
The Theme for the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity is – We make disciples of all nations when we bear witness to the glory of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.The sign of the Cross is a profound and powerful profession of our faith in the Holy Trinity. One aspect of our belief that can help us in our day-to-day life is that the Trinity as one community – the perfect community. Looking at what each of the Person is and what binds “Them” together in a Trinitarian community can help us create better human communities. The whole existence of the Three Persons in one Godhead revolves around the perfect love each one has for the other. It is this love that forms the Trinitarian community. And this is what Jesus wants for every human community to be, whose members give more than they take and settle conflicts where love reigns, for where there is love there is harmony, trust and peace, just what true disciples of Christ are expected to do.
Thus, Jesus commanded His disciples and us today to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” (Mt 28:19). As we work for the glory of the Holy Trinity by sharing the central mystery of our faith, we are assured by this promise – “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20b).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, by Your goodness You call us to share in the love which flows from Your very being. You always desire that we experience Your love. We come before You to humbly seek Your forgiveness for not following Your command to love others. We thank You for enriching our lives through the love we receive from others and for choosing us to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ, by our loving serviceto those You entrusted in our care. This we pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one GOD for ever and ever. Amen.
