Lord, help me to lay aside my own concerns and comforts for the sake of others i.e. die to self
5th Sunday of Easter (C) : 15th May 2022
Acts 14:21b-27; Ps. 144:8-9,10-11, 12-13ab; Rev. 21:1-5a;
Jn. 13:31-33a, 34-35 (Ps Wk I)
We all long for the time when God will dwell with us and when there will no longer be death or suffering. The vision in Revelation echoes Isaiah 25 and represents a human longing that has always been with us. Some would say that we have to wait until we get to heaven. But we do not have to wait. We can begin to enjoy those blessings by purifying our hearts and always remaining with the Lord in our hearts and minds. We can experience some of the peace and happiness promised in the vision.
The new commandment that Jesus gave His followers was not exactly new. It reflects many of the Old Testament traditions. But it was first in the new age that Jesus inaugurated, and He gave it a prominent role in godly living. Love one another – simple, but certainly not easy – just as Jesus had loved them. Jesus loved them even to laying down His life for them on the cross. Although we do not necessarily have to die for others, we can lay aside our own concerns and comforts for their sake. In other words, we can die to self. By doing so, we lose nothing and gain everything.
Lord, may my life be poured out for others.
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