You know how when you're young, you are taught to share your toys? Being a child, it's hard to comprehend why such a rule would be put in place. Sharing my toys? Why would I want to share them when I can use them all myself? However, you then notice how boring it can be to play on your own day in and day out, with no company, all because you didn't want to share with others. One of my favourite Veggie Tale movies isLyle the Kindly Viking.To put it brief, this episode is about a boy who instead of stealing treasures to gain for himself, brings back treasures his friends had stollen, and even makes some of his own potholders as a kind gesture. He teaches his friends that it is more important to be in communion and Love with people, than by oneself with possessions, as when he gets in trouble with a storm, they come to his aid, all because he helped them and showed them love.
Today's Gospel states:'"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and Bear Fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another' (John 15:12-17).
We are told that the greatest commandment next to loving God, is to loving our neighbour, loving humanity. Jesus says that we are his friends. They were his disciples when they were learning, but as they learned how to be people of faith and proclaim the Good News, they became friends. We are to works towards finding this friendship, not only with Jesus through daily prayer, devotion and living our lives, but with our neighbour. In order to do this, we have to share, our time, our love, our wisdom of faith and experiences. We cannot hold it all inside to better ourselves, but need to help our fellow believer and non-believers to bear fruit as well and help them whether the storm so to find the sunshine through the clouds.
Today's prayer comes from a study of the Bible, a prayer for helping our neighbour:
Dear Lord, Your word tells us to love You completely, and to love other people the same as we love ourselves. Please help us learn to Humbly Love and serve each other. More important, help us trust in You more than anything, and then humbly love and serve You. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
