Friday, January 5, 2018

Love In Deed and Truth

Evidently the author of the First Letter of John faced a problem we face today:  people not "walking their talk.: After expanding on the command to love one another, he concludes by saying: "If someone who has worldly means  sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?  Children, LET US LOVE NOT IN WORD OR SPEECH BUT IN DEED AND TRUTH." (1 Jn 3: 17-18).  Another translation reads, "and not merely talk about it."
We might look at the life of St. John Neumann, whose Memorial we celebrate today for an example of loving in deed and truth. As Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852-1860, he founded a new parish a day month and increased the Catholic schools from two to one hundred. A Bohemian by birth, he had a gift for languages and learned six before learning English and when he saw the need, working with Irish immigrants, he learned Gaelic to accommodate them in the confessional. He lived simply and energetically to love in deed and truth. His life invites us to examine our lives to see how we too might do the same.
Bro. Rene

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