Sixth Sunday of Easter – 05th May 2024
We are still making our way through the Season of Easter and the risen Jesus continues to appear to his friends and followers. And, as always, when he does appear he offers them a powerful and challenging word.
Earlier in the gospel when Jesus was asked what the first and most important commandment was, he said quite clearly, ‘you must love your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: you must love your neighbour as you love yourself. There are no greater commandments than these.’
Jesus offers his followers and us today the challenge of loving each other as he loves us. His love for us was so complete, that he bent low, took the place of a slave and washed our feet. His love for us was so complete that he gave his life for ours. As his followers, he asks us to do the same; to love and serve each other. The call to love that the risen Jesus asks of us is not easy! He doesn’t ask us just to like each other; we have to go further; we are called and challenged to love each other as we follow his example.