SUNDAY, FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 14: 21-27 Ps 145: 8-13 Rv 21: 1-5 Jn 13: 31-35
LOVE: THE KEY TO EASTER RENEWAL
From the missionary zeal of Paul and Barnabas in Acts, to the glorious vision of a new creation in Revelation, to Christ’s commandment of love in John’s Gospel, we see a common thread: God is making all things new, and we are called to be instruments of this transformation. Our first reading from Acts shows Paul and Barnabas at the heart of their missionary journey. They don’t just preach and move on; they strengthen the disciples, encourage them to persevere in faith, and even return to visit them, ensuring that the young Church is rooted in Christ. Notice their message: “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” This is a crucial Easter truth: New life in Christ does not mean a life without suffering. Rather, it means that our sufferings are transformed by the grace of the resurrection. Paul and Barnabas knew this firsthand; they had been persecuted, stoned, and rejected, yet they kept going because they trusted in the Risen Lord’s promise. How do we respond to hardships in our faith journey? Do we see them as obstacles or as moments where God is refining us? Are we actively encouraging one another in faith, like Paul and Barnabas did? Or do we leave our brothers and sisters to struggle alone? The early Christians thrived because they were a community of believers, supporting one another. We must do the same.
In our second reading, we hear the breathtaking vision of St John: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race… He will wipe every tear from their eyes… ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” This is the ultimate fulfilment of Easter – the resurrection of all creation. God is not content with merely fixing the brokenness of the world; He is making it entirely new. This new creation is not just a future hope; it begins now. Every act of love, every moment of forgiveness, every work of mercy is a foretaste of this new reality. Are we living as people of the “new creation,” or are we still clinging to old ways of sin, despair, or selfishness? Are we a sign of this new creation? Do people encounter hope, healing, and reconciliation when they meet us? God is making all things new today, and we are part of that work.
Jesus gives us the key to this renewal in the gospel: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” This commandment is new not because love was unknown before, but because Christ has now given us the measure of love: “As I have loved you.” How did Jesus love us? Totally. Sacrificially. Without limits. He loved us to the point of laying down His life. This is the love that renews the world. This is the love that turns a group of fearful disciples into a Church that transforms history. Do we love with Christ’s self-giving love, or with a love that is conditional, impatient, or self-serving? Does our love extend beyond our comfort zone – to the poor, the marginalized, the difficult to love? Jesus says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples.” Not by our words, not by our buildings, not by our traditions, but by our love. If the world is not seeing Christ in us, perhaps it is because we are not loving as He loved.
Easter is not just a season but a reality that must transform everything we are and do. Like Paul and Barnabas, we are called to be missionaries of hope, strengthening one another in faith. Like John’s vision, we are called to live now as people of the new creation, where God dwells among us. Like Jesus commands, we are called to love radically, so that the world may believe. This is the Easter mission: to be witnesses of resurrection, not just in what we say, but in how we live, love, and renew the world around us. Let us pray that the risen Lord may fill us with His Spirit, making us instruments of His love and renewal in the world. May our lives proclaim, in word and deed, that He is alive and that His kingdom is at hand.
Response: I well bless your name forever, my king and my God.
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