Remain in my love
In todays reading , Christ challenges us to remain in his love. What in the world is to remain in his love. In last week's gospel it is touching on Love and I was so waiting for the priest to share about the 3 types of Christian Love - Philia, Eros & Agape.
Philia is the love between good friends - "platonic" love. It is a chosen love as we choose who we want to befriend. It is more conditional and less sacrificial. Philia is less willing to continually overlook faults and frequently forgive other.
Lets just take some time to reflect on the times we Choose our friends to be with. sadly the society brands us and sometimes "high" class people cannot mix with with their so called "low" class people. or even we choose to be in the "in" group and neglect whoever who is outside of it.
Eros on the other hand is the Greek word for romantic / sexual love. - passionate feeling of romantic attraction and felt between 2 lovers. It is also comprising of infatuation and lust too. While we cannot decide what we feel, we can and should control what we do in response to our feelings.
As much as Eros is a romantic love, is it all about feelings? What if 10 years down the road, you loose that "fire of passion" does it mean you divorce your spouse. Let us take a closer look at the people whom we say we "like, love or even have a crush on." Is it more of a feeling or something more than that?
Agape of coz is the most often use in the New Testament to describe Christian love. The acts of charity and service for others - even to those we do not like and do not even know. This love is unconditional and it is NOT a feeling. It is sacrificial and un-reciprocated love - JESUS - self giving.
In order to attain agape love, we look upon God's divine love made visible in our good works of charity and service. Agape is the type of love that all Christians are called to manifest in their lives by unconditional acts of goodwill and charity for others, especially the poor and disadvantaged.
As much as this word is an "overkill" it is the hardest to achieve. How many a times can we say to ourselves, i have loved the poor beggar on the road, the person who hurt us till we sometimes even think of killing them? How often have you "fed" the hungry - physically & even in the thirst for the salvation of God. "Cloth" the naked - giving clothes & even those who are lack of love and need us to cloth them with Christ love, warmth n compassion. Lastly give "shelter" to the homeless - Those who needs Christ in their Hearts and to be carried on the Wings of Eagles and protected by the snares of the Evil one. Or even those who are stray on the road who needs a place to stay - No coz society says if you let a stranger in , you might be harm.
Let us all take sometime to imitate on HIS unconditional love for us and be the true disciple of Christ in our own ways. But remember, this is not gonna be an easy task. "But I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me"
Erica Stella
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