A New Commandment
Father Phil Paxton, CP
To All,
During the height of the Covid pandemic, there was a lot of discussion around living under a “new normal.” In some ways, I wanted there to be a “new normal,’ not in the way necessarily that people were talking about at the time, but in the way of the kingdom of God. So, I had a sign made that I put up when I would pray on the corner, where the community garden is, across the street from Holy Family Church: “Praying for a New Normal.”
I bring this up because in our Gospel reading for Sunday (John 13:31-33a, 34-35), Jesus is speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper: “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Every time I hear those words, “new commandment,” I realize that even though those words were spoken centuries ago, they are still new. They are still new because we have trouble embracing them unconditionally, even as Jesus embraces us unconditionally. We want to put some fine print on them, or find some loopholes in them, or seek some restrictions so that they are not so inconvenient for us.
But what if we were to strive to fully obey Jesus’ commandment to love? Maybe we could be open, as Paul and Barnabas were to the Gentiles (Our first reading: Acts 14:21-27), to the truth of God’s love extending to all peoples. Maybe we could be like John in our second reading from Revelation (21:1-5a), able to visualize “a new heaven and a new earth.” Maybe we could actually welcome “God’s dwelling” with “the human race.”
I’m sorry if I sound a bit strident. It just seems that we need to take the commandment to love to heart now more than ever.
May God open our eyes and ears, our hearts and minds to obey this “new commandment” to love one another as Jesus loves us, leading us not only to acts of charity but also working for justice and peace. May the “old order” of hate and fear and the use of violence pass away.
In the Crucified and Risen Christ,
Phil, CP