Wednesday, April 10, 2013


Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21)

The famous Rabbi Hillel was once challenged to recite the whole Law while standing on one leg.  The Rabbi could do it easily by repeating the golden rule.  Many Christians would have equally little trouble summarizing the New Testament.  They would just repeat the first verse of today’s gospel passage.

The remarkable quality of God’s love expressed in the reading is not so much its abundance as its action.  God’s love expresses itself in giving humans a way out of the mire into which they have wandered.  Jesus, God’s gift, not only provides direction but also strength to overcome human faults that block their way to happiness.

We hear of God’s love so often that it is surprising that we do not tire of listening about it.  Yet despite plentiful evidence, many of us become unsure of such love and need reassurance.  However, the surest way to feel it is not to contemplate it but to show it.  The more we love others, the more God’s love will be made manifest to us.