Power, Divinity, Wisdom and Strength

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom and strength and honor” (Rev. 5:12).  Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain, is  God’s wisdom, divinity, power, strength and honor.  Jesus is God, one with the Father and the Spirit. “Out of His fullness  we have all received grace upon grace “( Jn 1:16).   His giving and loving is without end and was planned from the beginning of the world. In His creation of humankind love was shown. In our rebellion and disobedience, love was shown, as God covenanted with us to save us from sin and death by sending a Savior: Jesus, the Christ.  “No  one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” we read in today’s Gospel, John 15: 12-17.  In verses 34-35  of Chapter 15, Jesus says to us:  “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus does not only command us to love one another as He loves us, He  also gives us , in the sacraments, in the Scriptures, in the indwelling of the Trinity within us, the ability, the power, the support, the love, the wisdom we need to love as He loved. Truly, as we pray in the responsorial psalm of today’s liturgy: “…[Y]our mercy towers to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory” (Psalm57)!

Lord, today, may each one of us, by the way we love as you loved, reveal your faithfulness and your glory working within us. May we allow your power, divinity, wisdom, strength and honor bestowed on us through the Word and sacraments,  become stronger by the choices we make today to love when we are most inclined to walk away from the challenge. I ask this in Jesus’ name.