5th Sunday of Easter

Today we looked at the gospel quote: love one another as I have loved you.
I referred to two churches..... one that had a sign that said ,"I am the Way , the Truth and the Life" and the other one I attended in the summer while on holidays. A young man visited the first church but was not greeted, spoken to, smiled at or offered a hand shake. The one I attended had welcome signs all over as you entered. I got a begrudging "good morning" as I walked up the steps in response to my greeting, no conversation, one handshake for communion and no-one spoke to me after.While I was walking down the walk I saw a building at the end and asked those in front of me if that was the parish hall. One replied,"Yes, that is where WE go for coffee" ....nothing else.... so I got in my car and came home.... very sad.

So that brings us to the gospel,"love one another as I have loved you".If we loved all others, than all would be welcomed and included.God's salvation is for everyone so we are to love everyone.Love is an attitude that reveals itself in action. How can we love others as Jesus loves us? By helping when it is not convenient, by giving when it hurts, by devoting energy to other's welfarerather than our own, by absorbing hurts from others without fighting back or complaining. Is this easy? No and that is why epole notice when you act in this way.They realize you are empowered by the Holy Spirit and the love of God.

The young man walked by the first church many years later. What did he see? A boarded up church and a dangling sign. How about the one I attended? What is their future?

Go into the world............ love others, ALL others and may our actions speak volumes about our love of Jesus and the way we follow His comandment: "love one another as I have loved you."

Note:
We are looking for a volunteer to clean the church for the next couple of weeks.