True love

People throw around the word love nowadays, often without much meaning and sometimes with a meaning that is the opposite of true love.

Today’s Gospel (John 1:9-17) and second reading (1 John 4:7-10), remind us what true love – everlasting love – really is.

Love comes from God in and through His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We love truly because God loves us.

We can remain in true love as we remain faithful to God.

Love involves sacrifice.

Our Lord says:

As the Father loves me,
so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments,
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

I have told you this
so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.

This is my commandment:
love one another
as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.

You are my friends
if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know
what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,
because I have told you
everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me,
but I who chose you
and appointed you
to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name
he may give you.

This I command you:
love one another.

And Saint John reminds us:

Beloved,
let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves
is begotten by God
and knows God.

Whoever is without love
does not know God,
for God is love.

In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.

In this is love:
not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Lord Jesus, give us the grace to love truly.