Word to the Wise
Friday, January 10, 2025 - Friday after Epiphany, or Jan. 11
[1 John 5:5-13 and Luke 5:12-16]And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the Son of God. [1 John]
When does "eternal life" begin for us who are time-bound and who have been taught that our present life is a "vale of tears" in which we pile up enough good deeds to make it past St. Peter at the Pearly Gates? How did it get past us that the Gospel According to John and the Letters of John tell us that if we believe in Jesus as the One whom God has sent we ALREADY experience eternal life? How can this life have any resemblance at all to "heaven?" I can only suggest that it exists in the experience and gift of love that comes from faith and friendship.
Anyone who experiences the kind of love that comes from a close and lasting friendship can make the connection by analogy to a relationship to God. God expressed that relationship to us all by becoming human and showing us the way to love. A close friend can challenge us to a depth of trust and love that can transform our lives to the extent that we want to show this to the world. That is the essence of the gospel and the testimony that we are challenged to make. An overemphasis on hell and the final judgment can create the kind of fear that "drives out love."
This kind of love is far beyond a Valentine's Day sentiment. It means a self-giving and a surrender that takes us out of selfish security and power. Testimony to God's love, manifested in our efforts to love, preaches the best homily of all!! AMEN