Memorial of St. John Neumann, bishop
(I John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51)
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” wrote
Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
She continued to name manifold ways from childhood faith to eternal joy
in which her love for her husband thrived.
There is a similar concentration on the glory of love in the First Letter
of John. Because Christmas is, above
all, a testament to God’s love for the world, the first reading these days is
taken from that work.
John has testified that God is love. To please God then, John indicates that
Christians must imitate God’s loving. Their
love for God sung in the carols of Christmas must flow from words into
action. If not, John would say, then it
is counterfeit. The test comes when one
sees a member of the community in need.
Just as Jesus gave his life for his followers, one has to assist the
needy brother or sister.
Love, like all virtue, is a habit, but this fact does not
mean that it is performed in a routine way.
Love calls for creativity at times along with constant care. We love when we spontaneously call a friend with
whom we haven’t talked for a while. We
love when we provide a word of encouragement or, if necessary, a word of criticism
so that others may become better persons.
