The Command to Love
Gospel Reflection for Wednesday May 14th, 2025, Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle.
Today is the feast day of St. Matthias, the man who was chosen to replace the traitor, Judas Iscariot. In the Gospel, we hear the well-known passage from the Gospel of John where Our Lord commands His Apostles, and us by extension, to love one another:
“Jesus said to his disciples: “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 might 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.” John 15:9-13.
This passage speaks for itself, and so I will offer very little commentary.
Love, which is called the Virtue of Charity, is the most important Virtue that a person can have. The three Theological Virtues form a pathway to heaven and union with God. Very simply:
Faith apprehends God and comes to know Him.
Hope reaches out to God and desires union with Him.
Charity is the principle of that union with God.
“So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Both Our Lord and St. Paul are telling us the same thing. Charity is the greatest of the virtues, it is the virtue that perfects all others and is the one that remains in heaven. Faith, which is belief in the unseen, gives way to the vision of the divine. The souls in heaven do not have faith. Hope, which is the desire for possession of that which is yet unattained, gives way to the attainment of the divine. The souls in heaven do not have hope. But Charity, the greatest of the virtues, remains since the souls in heaven are confirmed in perfect Charity as they reflect God in His divine essence, as St. John tells us:
“He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Very simply, He who is Love became incarnate and taught us how to love so that we could be united to Him forever. While faith does justify initially, Charity is what is most necessary for eternal life.
Thus, we are commanded to love so that we can be conformed to God, who is Love. In that, we may be united to Him for eternity.
Amen, well said. Thank you!!!!!!