We are in the Easter season and every day we follow how, after Christ’s resurrection, the community of the first disciples develops, that is, those who believed that the Lord really lives. The common feature of Jesus’ followers is a special love. The love that is special for people of their time, which makes them say to themselves: “see how they love each other“. Love becomes a hallmark, a showcase of Christians.
Today Jesus leaves us anew His commandment of love, but it is not only a pure commandment, but an invitation to “love one another as I have loved you“. In this way, He shows that our love is born of an encounter with His love. We can very often experience the fact that we are unable to love on our own. Only the experience of God’s disinterested love for us, a love that is undeserved, can give us the strength to love others. God’s love is not a reaction to our good behavior. He loves us, because He loves us. On the other hand, our human love is often a response to the kindness of others; I love because someone is nice to me. That is why Jesus’ commandment is new – it invites you to love like God, that is, to love for nothing.
St. John, in the text of the Apocalypse, writes to us about God’s dwelling with people, about God’s “tabernacle” with us, which is a manifestation of His closeness. This “tabernacle” is every Eucharist, during which we can hear anew the confession of Jesus contained in today’s Gospel: “I have loved you.”