I give you a new commandment

At 14,21b-27; Ps 144; Rev 21,1-5a; Jn 13,31-33a.34-35
19 MAY

The new commandment of Jesus is well specified in every single detail. It is sufficient to read a few passages from his Sermon on the Mount, and it will be understood that everything has been specified in the smallest details and everything must be observed.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Cf. Mt 5, 17-48).

Is the full observance of these commandments of Lord Jesus sufficient to be his true disciples? What is still missing? The Gospel according to John also reveals to us that there is still one thing missing. But what? A disciple’s love for the other disciple is lacking, which must be a love not only of total service, but also of the offering of life for the other. As Jesus gave his life for his disciples, so too a disciple must give his life for the other disciple. This commandment ensures that we never fall into the temptation to think that we can love those outside, if we do not love our own body, which is the body of Christ, that are the other disciples of Jesus. A Church cannot think of the outer suburbs if inside everything is a suburb, a savannah, a jungle and a forest in which every tree tries to live by removing the sun and the air from the other trees.

When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.  (If God is glorified in him,) God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is the reason why the only Discourse of the Mountain is not enough for the disciple to be recognized as a disciple. It is necessary the disciple’s love for the other disciple that becomes oblation, sacrifice and offer of the own life. When the Church knows how to consume herself for the Church, then she becomes a sign of Christ for the world. Otherwise one becomes like that husband or that wife that loves another woman or another man, but ignores, despises, humiliates, removes and divorces from his spouse. Either the Church learns to love herself, or never might she be visible light of the world and salt of the earth.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange so that we never fall into the temptation of not loving each other.