Looking at his disciples during their last moments spent together on this side of heaven, Jesus revealed to his dear friends what was in his heart. I can almost see the tenderness in his face as I read today’s Gospel. He knew his disciples would need to preach his message of love to the world, he had been preparing them for this very task. Yet, sadly, he also knew he was sending them forth into a world full of threat. The only thing that could hold them together was love.
The same is true for us today. Jesus Christ calls us to also go forth into a world where we are vulnerable and open to attack. However, like his promise to the disciples, he will be with us for all eternity. Jesus has conquered the world and we can safely rest in this declaration. We are on the winning team! And the winning team’s formula for success is love.
The Winning Formula of Love
Without implementing the team’s winning formula no team will earn the champion’s crown. Ask any coach. Every member of the team must come to know, understand, and then implement its winning formula. Team Jesus’ winning formula is love. Jesus is very clear in his messaging – we are called to love one another. And this is where we get tripped up, all too often we find it hard to love.
So what causes us to get tripped up? Love is such a beautiful thing and the human heart certainly cries out for love. Yet, we have all experienced wounds during our lifetime that have, in turn, caused us to put walls around our heart. In an attempt to not feel the pain of unrequited love we allow our hearts to become hardened, unable to fully love another as Jesus calls us to do. Jesus can help us here.
Our First Love
Each of us entered into the world the same way, a child of God placed inside of our mother’s womb. Even God’s own son entered in the same way. Being created in God’s image we were ready to love and be loved in return. Our first loving glance as a human being was towards our mother. We saw her as one with us and we knew nothing of duality. There was only one – and we were “in love” with our mother.
Yet, our mother had already experienced many wounds in the world before we were placed in her womb. As a result she had built walls around her heart – walls that limited her human ability to love us as fully as God offers. In the end, she could only give to us what she received. And while she had received the same love God gave us at her conception, by the time God placed us inside of her womb she had also received wounds from the world as well.
Learning to Love
Our earthly love story begins with our human mother. From this relationship we develop a lens in which we see the world. Are we lovable? Is it safe to love others? Will others love us in return? The subconscious files that were created when we loved our mothers, and hoped for her love in return, lay at the foundation of our other love relationships. If you want to learn more about healing any pain you experienced with your own mother I invite you to visit my blog post titled: Mother as Nurturer and Comforter.
Jesus knew we would encounter troubles in this world, he knew it would be challenging to love one another. From the beginning of our life many of us have experienced challenges in our relationship with our mother – the world can be cruel and harsh. What better way to hurt humanity then to harm the love between a mother and her child? Yet, Jesus has overcome the world and through him all healing happens. Whether we need healing in our love relationship with our mother, our father, our siblings, our grandparents, or anyone else Jesus is ready and waiting to give us the winning formula – his love. And I might add, the love of his mother.
Love Is an Inside Job
Learning to love begins first with a desire to unite ourselves with Christ – our divine coach. He will reveal to us his winning formula, he will show us how it works. He will coach us in practice, and he will be there on the sidelines as we play our part in the game of life. However, we must practice the plays, we must commit them to muscle memory, and we must put in the time needed to be a champion.
A Winning Team
Like all winning teams we need a coach, team members, and we need opponents. The disciples joined Team Jesus long ago. They fought, they struggled, and they ultimately experienced the Champion’s Crown. We too are invited to join the team. Try-outs are rather easy – all are welcome to be on the team. Yet, practice will be grueling. And those games – they will be tough.
We will battle with our teammates as we practice together. Our mothers, our fathers, our siblings, and other family members will be on our team. We will all come together under the direction of Coach Jesus. We will battle with them as we practice our plays. Then we will meet our opponents on the court. They will be tough, fierce, and they too will want the same crown.
Our team consists of those individuals closest to us in our lives, the ones we loved and wanted love from first. Our family. Our opponents are the other people we meet along the way who are also playing the game of life. They play the game hard with their families and we play it hard with ours. In the end, we all seek the championship crown.
Team Jesus
The champion coach, Jesus Christ, will teach us the plays needed for successes. His plays; forgiveness, understanding, patience, acceptance, and an unwavering ability to persevere onward until we master them will be taught with unwavering love. Jesus will show us the plays as he coaches our team – our family. Then we will be prepared to approach our opponents having perfected Jesus’ plays through perseverance.
Coach Jesus Christ has divine wisdom, he knows that we have already won the Divine Championship Game. Yet, we must still play the game with perseverance. The Championship Crown is available to all who play the game well – a game played with Jesus’ winning formula of love. And Coach Jesus – he is the head coach of all families. All families will be winners when we run his plays and follow him.
Global Light For Christ
I can see by our community’s posts that there is much pain and heartache in our families. We are hurting, and our “teammates” are hurting. Let’s come together and pray that we can play the game like Jesus so we can earn the Championship Crown together. I invite you to post your petition below so we can love one another through our prayers.
And Jessica – please let us know when your baby girl arrives! We are all excited to welcome this precious baby into the world! What a blessed life she is entering in to – first string player I dare say! With a beautiful mother to guide her in Jesus’ ways.
P.S. Also wanted to share some exciting personal news with our community! I just signed a contract with a producer who will record my book in audio form. This version will be available late this summer! I’ll keep you posted.
God bless all of you. See you next week Friday – Carolyn
God the Father – hold us in your Fatherly love.
God the Son – bring us through yourself.
God the Holy Spirit – immerse us in divine love.
Today’s Readings: Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-9, 10, 12; Alleluia John 15:15B; John 15:12-17
