John 3:16-18
Dear Friends, Aristides, a learned Greek philosopher, described the Christians in the second century this way: “They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the person that has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home and are happy as though he were a brother. They do not consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit, in God.”
Today’s Gospel passage has often been called a gospel in miniature. It describes in just a few lines the unlimited love of God. In Jesus, we have the continual unveiling of this love of the Father. Jesus is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving, keeps on calling and keeps on loving!
Today’s Gospel tells us why God has saved us. It is all about love. God has chosen to lay out the magnitude and power of this love through the saving acts of his Son and through the continuing action of the Spirit. This love knows no boundaries, has no conditions and needs no invitation. It simply engulfs all reality. As St. Therese, the Little Flower, declared, “Everything is grace!”
Today’s Gospel sets this divine love before us very clearly. God takes the initiative: “God so loved the world.” (Jn 3:16) In loving the world, God shows us that all are invited into the mutual love that is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus fleshes out this totally inclusive love in the stories of the Samaritan, the publican, Magdalene and so many other expressions of acceptance and mercy.
Likewise, today’s Gospel tells us the purpose of God’s mission: “God did not send the Son…to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him and enjoy eternal life.” (Jn 3:16-18)
The Bible is the story of the Chosen People and their experience of this divine love. The Sacred Word flows from the relationship of God and the family of Abraham. In Jesus, that loving relationship is revealed to extend to all humanity. In this story of God and the people, there is a constant fidelity, a constant love and a constant mercy that supports the broken people. The infidelity of God’s Chosen People has uncovered the utter mercy of God. From the beginning to our day, the catastrophe of human infidelity has always been met by the immeasurable mercy, compassion and love of God.
This divine love portrayed in John’s Gospel is beyond our understanding, hopelessly out our reach for us to merit, and outside the limits of our capacity to respond in kind. God has loved us first and with a generosity we will never be able to match. In the end, all we can do is to attempt to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and embrace the merciful love.
Jesus invites us into the mystery of love and life that is the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. The choice is ours. We can accept or reject.
The great joy of today’s feast of the Holy Trinity, like every proclamation of the Gospel, is that God never gives up on us. In Jesus, we are constantly called to accept Him as the way, the life and the truth. Slowly, life tends to teach us that Jesus really does have a better plan both for here and hereafter. Our calling is rooted in God and destined to be one with God. Our true destiny is to share the love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Gospel passage has often been called a gospel in miniature. It describes in just a few lines the unlimited love of God. In Jesus, we have the continual unveiling of this love of the Father. Jesus is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving, keeps on calling and keeps on loving!
Today’s Gospel tells us why God has saved us. It is all about love. God has chosen to lay out the magnitude and power of this love through the saving acts of his Son and through the continuing action of the Spirit. This love knows no boundaries, has no conditions and needs no invitation. It simply engulfs all reality. As St. Therese, the Little Flower, declared, “Everything is grace!”
Today’s Gospel sets this divine love before us very clearly. God takes the initiative: “God so loved the world.” (Jn 3:16) In loving the world, God shows us that all are invited into the mutual love that is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus fleshes out this totally inclusive love in the stories of the Samaritan, the publican, Magdalene and so many other expressions of acceptance and mercy.
Likewise, today’s Gospel tells us the purpose of God’s mission: “God did not send the Son…to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him and enjoy eternal life.” (Jn 3:16-18)
The Bible is the story of the Chosen People and their experience of this divine love. The Sacred Word flows from the relationship of God and the family of Abraham. In Jesus, that loving relationship is revealed to extend to all humanity. In this story of God and the people, there is a constant fidelity, a constant love and a constant mercy that supports the broken people. The infidelity of God’s Chosen People has uncovered the utter mercy of God. From the beginning to our day, the catastrophe of human infidelity has always been met by the immeasurable mercy, compassion and love of God.
This divine love portrayed in John’s Gospel is beyond our understanding, hopelessly out our reach for us to merit, and outside the limits of our capacity to respond in kind. God has loved us first and with a generosity we will never be able to match. In the end, all we can do is to attempt to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and embrace the merciful love.
Jesus invites us into the mystery of love and life that is the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. The choice is ours. We can accept or reject.
The great joy of today’s feast of the Holy Trinity, like every proclamation of the Gospel, is that God never gives up on us. In Jesus, we are constantly called to accept Him as the way, the life and the truth. Slowly, life tends to teach us that Jesus really does have a better plan both for here and hereafter. Our calling is rooted in God and destined to be one with God. Our true destiny is to share the love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
