God has given us 10 commandments which serve as our guide in living a holy life. Only 10 commandments but sadly, we still find it difficult to abide. But regardless of the number, many or few, God’s commandments can be summarized in just one word. LOVE.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Though there have been a lot of words paralleled to love in the bible, God only wants us to remember two things, to love Him and only Him as your God, and to love your brothers and sisters with the same sacrifice and passion as our love for Him. Aside from the countless definitions of love, Jesus Christ showed us, while He was on the cross, that love is a decision. Through His selfless love for humankind, Jesus Christ decided to die on the cross and He never backed down, because He has a love that is prepared to go through the ultimate suffering.
Along with our commemoration of Christ’s death today is also our veneration towards the holy cross. The cross is where we see the loving face of Christ. Today we are reminded that we are not asked to carry the same cross that Christ has carried because He already did that for us.
As we approach Christ’s rebirth, may we learn how to nourish the love that we have for God. If you have been living life with only a love for God but not for humankind, take this time to grow that love so that it may also reach the others. Nurture it and maintain it in your heart forever.
Rev. Fr. Thomas Arun said in his homily earlier that the real cross that we should carry in our lives is the pain that we suffer for others. As we go back to what God really wants us to do, we are told to love God as our one and only God, and to also love our brothers and sisters the same way we love our God. Our love must be balanced because we can never love God alone without loving our brothers and sisters and vice versa.
Let us practice our love for one another by helping one another in carrying their everyday cross. “The true cross of Christ is the pain we suffer for others.” We should plant the cross of love in our daily lives and accept it happily.
Let us remember that love is a decision that should never be based on emotions, love must be equal, that it should never know no limitations, and most of all, a real love is selfless.
Are we ready to take up on our crosses?
