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.
