Easter is a time to reflect upon the unfathomable love of God for us and for the world. The salvific mystery, comprising of the public ministry, death and resurrection of Christ, is a great evidence of the love of God for us all. God, who is love, created the world out of love in order to express His love. He created to save his creation. Salvation is therefore the telos of creation. Salvation is realized through love.
A Heart For the World
Making man in His image, God intends that man love like Him and in so doing achieve his life purpose. How does God love? “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ (Rom 5:8).“ Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends“ (John 15:13). God sees all human beings as His friends in need of salvation. God‘s response for creation groaning for redemption (Rom 8:22) was to send His only son. We hear it today in the Gospel:“ for God so loved the world, that he sent His only begotten son“ (John 3: 16). The world is therefore the scope of God‘s love. There is no special preference for any nation, tribe, language and people. God does not just love one set of people. He chose Abraham to be the father of all nations and Israel to bless all nations through them. The love of God calls us all to develop a heart for the world and for humanity and not just for fellow Christians or fellow country men.
Choose the Good
If to love is to will and to choose the good of others, to love like God is to will and to choose the good of people who are not related to me but are in dire need of my love. Loving like God implies having concern for the sufferings of other people and making efforts to help the way I can.“The Joy and the hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well“ (Gaudium et spes, 1). There is need for much love in our world today to be able to see the suffering humanity as God sees them. The season of Easter is a time to celebrate God‘s charity for the world, a love that searches out for those in need of help. At Easter, God shows us the example of living for others and giving completely to others.
In the first reading today, the apostles were so flabbergasted that they could not stop making known the wonders of God‘s love. Even imprisonment could not deter them from celebrating the love of God for the world. This is our time. We can start from our little quarters and help a poor person around us, console and encourage someone, devote our time to a lonely person etc.
Happy Easter.
