6th Sunday of Easter (B) 5th May 2024

The reflections for Sundays and Solemnities is an activity of Society of St Paul, India
A Reflection by:
DR (FR) PLAVENDRAN, SSP,
SOCIETY OF ST PAUL.
Director of ST PAULS MEDIA INSTITUTE, Mumbai
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Command to Love!
My dear friends, we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Year B
A monk went to beach for his meditation, he saw a scorpion being carried away by the waves in the ocean. He bent down and used his bare hand to save the drawing scorpion. But he was stung by the scorpion. As a reflex he threw the scorpion back to the waters and began to nurse his finger. After that he bend down again to pick this scorpion up and he was stung a second time by the second time. He threw the scorpion back in to the ocean and nursed his finger. He went down for the third time he was stung by the scorpion, he was not spared. A man who watched this from a distance said to the monk “Monk are you out of your mind? You were tempted to save the scorpion three times. And it stung you three times. Yet you are going down for the fourth time to rescue this. The monk paused for a moment and said in reply “it is the nature of the scorpion to sting. While it is the nature of the monk is to love.”
The moral of this story is that you must not allow the bitterness of someone to take away your sweetness. The monk in the story practiced what is knows us universal love.
On this sixth Sunday of Easter we celebrate our Lord whose love is universal. He has no favorite. Rather, he freely communicates his love and spirit to all who accepts him. The fullness of this love is expressed in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
Our first reading is an account of the conversion of Cornelius and his family, and how they received the Holy Spirit. As Peter described it, this shows that “God does not have any favorite.” In order words, God’s salvation and love is universal. He wants everyone who would sincerely believe in him to be saved and participate in him through the Holy spirit.
While reflecting on the readings of this Sunday I recalled the song which says: “Jesus’ love is so wonderful, so wide you cannot get out of it, so high you cannot get over it, so deep you cannot get under it…” Simply put, God’s love does not discriminate.
Both the second reading and today’s gospel from John remind us of how much Christ himself loved us. They exalt us to remain in this love, and of course to love one another as Christ loved us. Being created in the image of God, we must exhibit this love. When we love we are truly being and acting like God. When we love sincerely, we testify that the spirit of God dwells in us.
Today’s gospel is a command to love: “What I command you, is to love one another.” As a command it means that we do not have any option than to love one another. The reason is simple. We ourselves are products of love. This love flows from God to Christ and from Christ to us.
It also flows from God to our parents and, from our parents to us. This is why Christ tells us today: “As the father has loved me, so have I loved you.” So, we have no reason not to extend it to others. We are to continue the chain.
The love we are talking about here goes beyond mere emotion or sentiments. It is a “sacrificial love.” Strong emotion and sentiments may accompany it but they are not in themselves love. They are simply modes of expressing love.
It is the commitment of the will that keep sacrificial love steadfast and unchanging. That is, the will to endure or persevere. This is the mark of a good and true Christian love. Hence, sacrificial love must be patient. It shows forbearance even under provocation. It is steadfast despite opposition, and difficulties.
Sacrificial love is a strong commitment to help and appreciate others unconditionally. It is always ready to give rather than to receive. As we celebrate, and obey this great command to love, let us give thanks to God, who “has shown his salvation to the nations.”
May God Bless us All!

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Maria Da Conceicao ,My Husband Samad, and Our 2 Sons Siamak And Aysan Holy Spirit Come live within each one of Our Home Also I Pray Jesus Cure My Heart and mind Help me to forgive My Sister's Ana Maria and Those strangers that involved with Her to Humiliate me with Provocations Mocked behind my Back Help me Lord to Free my Mind negative thoughts Help me to Forgive We are Distant not comunicate but i pray to God to give them wisdom and to Go closer to Jesus I Ask God Divine Justice Deliver me And my Household Family from All Evil in Jesus Name We are Free from the Plot off Evil Thank you God for The Air We Breath And Make our Life comfortable Open Doors Multiply sales Fulfill my and my Husband Dream we Only Depend on You God Our Shepherds I am Grateful for what you have done for Us and Pray For What is Preparing for Us Multiply our Sales and Change Us to another House with the space we Desperately need For Our Family Thank You God 😇✌️🕊️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇬🇧🇵🇹