Abiding in God's love

John 15 : 9 - 17
Matthew 28: 19 - 20

I chose you ...that you should bear fruit

Again we hear words that Jesus gave before and after the Cross. And it begins to make much more sense. The disciples are told "abide in my love" and they are told that this means friendship with Jesus and loving one another. In this way, their mission will be effective, will bear fruit. If they remembered these words, then the Commission recorded in Matthew 28 could be easily understood and lived.

Abiding in God's love seems to be the foundation of everything in the Christian's spiritual journey. Easy and yet challenging at the same time. God surely extends his love freely and fully, offering it to us all of the time. More likely the problem lies with us. There are times when God's extravagant love is just not received!We all have ideas and images of love and of our selves as unworthy of it that block the reception of God's love.

But Jesus promises that when we willingly clear the blocks away, we will abide in his love. We will experience his presence "to the end of the age". And we will be able to go into the world proclaiming the kingdom.

"Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward,save that of knowing that we do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola)