Amemos de verdad

V Domingo de Pascua
https://bible.usccb.org/es/bible/lecturas/050221.cfm

“Hijos míos: No amemos solamente de palabra, amemos de verdad y con las obras. … debemos creer en la persona de Jesucristo … y nos amemos los unos a los otros”.

Juan continúa diciendo en el próximo capítulo que “Dios es amor; y el que permanece en amor, permanece en Dios, y Dios en él”. Luego, dice “Nosotros le amamos a él, porque él nos amó primero”.

Amamos porque Dios nos amó primero. No amamos ni mostramos amor PARA QUE…. Nos amamos PORQUE. Amamos porque Dios lo ordenó, pero en realidad, es porque Dios nos ama.

Si vamos a amar, necesitamos dos cosas: necesitamos al Espíritu Santo que nos da poder para amar, y necesitamos creer. Necesitamos fe en que Dios nos ama. 

¿Cómo se ve cuando amamos? Démosle la vuelta. Veámoslo desde el otro lado. ¿Cómo sabemos que alguien nos ama de verdad?

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Loving Deeply

5th Sunday of Easter (B)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050221.cfm

“Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth… we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.”

John goes on to say in the next chapter that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” Then, he says “we love because he first loved us.”

We love because God first loved us.

We do not love or show love SO THAT…. We love BECAUSE. We love because God commanded it, but really, it is because God loves us.

If we are going to love, we need two things – we need the Holy Spirit who empowers us to love, and we need to believe. We need faith that God loves us. 

What does it look like when we love? Let’s flip it over. Let’s look at it from the other side. How do we know that someone loves us?

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Do you believe that Jesus is the good shepherd?

https://bible.usccb.org/Bible/readings/042521.cfm

Do you believe that Jesus is the good shepherd?

The good shepherd does not misuse or abuse or neglect or abandon his sheep. The good shepherd does not tend the flock for his own profit or benefit. The good shepherd does not flee from the wolf.

The good Shepherd lives and dies for their sheep. 

Do we believe Jesus is the good shepherd?

Or, do we somehow think that Jesus is not trustworthy? Do we somehow think that Jesus is going to, as the saying goes, “fleece us?” Do we think that Jesus is going to treat us kindly and generously, or do we think that he is going to rob us?

I wonder if we really believe that Jesus is the good shepherd.

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Predican el Arrepentimiento

III Domingo de Pasqua
https://bible.usccb.org/es/bible/lecturas/041821.cfm

La Iglesia nos ha llevado estas últimas tres semanas de la desesperación del Huerto y la Cruz a la alegría de la Resurrección. El domingo pasado nos presentó el don inconmensurable de la Divina Misericordia. A la luz de estas glorias, hoy nos invita a arrepentirnos.

Es extraño, ¿no? El mensaje de Adviento y Cuaresma es de preparación y arrepentimiento. Pero ahora, en el tercer domingo de Pascua, nuevamente se nos invita a arrepentirnos.

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Preach Repentance

Third Sunday of Easter (B)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041821.cfm

The Church has brought us these past three weeks from the despair of the Garden and the Cross to the joy of the Resurrection. Last Sunday, she presented to us the immeasurable gift of Divine Mercy. In the light of these glories, she invites us today to repent.

It is strange, isn’t it? The message of Advent and of Lent is of preparation and repentance. But now on the Third Sunday of Easter, we are again invited to repent.

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