6th Sunday of Easter: May 9/10, 2026

A single mother, trying her best to raise her daughter with faith and integrity - became frantic when she found what she thought was a baggie of pot in her 16-year old’s closet. When her daughter came home from school that day, she confronted her by saying: “Okay, Maria: what is this?”            Her daughter replied as only a 14-year-old could: “well, mom, looks like weed to me.”

Mom responds by of course saying: “don’t get smart with me, young lady, tell me how you got it and why you got it.”  Maria, thinking fast, said, “oh, I got it from a friend and I’m keeping it for a friend.”  Mom says: “and you expect me to believe that?  Maria says: “why don’t you trust me?”  Then stomps off to her bedroom, slamming the door.  Not to be seen for the rest of the night. . . 

When mom cooled off a bit, she called her older sister to ask for advice. Her sister asked: “Why were you concerned with finding pot in Maria’s closet?”  “Because I know where it all can lead.  I don’t want her to get into any trouble.”  “I understand that” the sister said.  “And why don’t you want her to get into trouble?”  “Because I don’t want her to ruin her life.”  “I understand that” the sister said.  “But why is it you don’t want her to ruin her life?”  Finally, the mother caught on and said: "Because I love her.”  “And what do you think would have happened if you would have led with that?” her sister asked.  “Like: ‘Maria, I love you so much that I got really concerned when I found marijuana in your closet.  I just don’t want you getting into any trouble, can we talk about it?’”

There is nothing vague, nothing uncertain, nothing compromising with Christ, when it comes to love.  So many people are caught up in false notions of God:  a God of anger, a judge ready to pounce and punish.  A God of law, concerned more with rituals and what to do or not to do on the Sabbath or any other day. Or the belief in a God who is distant, far off, not interested in us humans, our condition, our suffering, our circumstances.  All of which would lead one to be fearful of judgment at the end of our earthly lives, as we talked about last week.

NO:  Jesus tells us many times, especially in the Gospel of John, “as the Father loved me, so I love you.”  Or as we quote St. John in the 4th Eucharistic prayer: “For God so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only begotten son to be our Savior.”  That is the central message of the Gospel, that is the central message of all the Scriptures:  both the Old and New Testaments:  GOD LOVES US:  with a love so great He never lets go of us, never gives up on us, never fails in loving us no matter how far we try to run or to hide from Him.

Christianity, the WAY of Christ, reveals a God who seeks us, a God who loves us far more than we even love ourselves.  Jesus came to reveal to each one of us the loving, compassionate, forgiving face of God.  A God of the way, the truth, and the life. And when we finally grasp hold of this notion, then we sometimes fall into thinking that God loves us because we are so dedicated or unselfish, or because of our special qualities or our great personality, that somehow God loves us only because of what we do.

But we do NOTHING to arouse, elicit or certainly NOT EARN this love of God.  It was there before we even existed. If God’s love was based on something we did, and then we failed in doing it, then the love of God would cease, and that’s just not the case.  God’s love for us is based on nothing that we do, and so it is not withheld if we sin. God’s love continues to surround us, to carry us, to engulf us and overwhelm us, even when we sin, BECAUSE GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US.

However, we all know that actions speak louder than words. . .  Yes, if we love God, we not only have to say it, we must show it, but that isn’t done out of fear or the hope of a reward, but it is done in GRATITUDE for all God does for us.

A religion and faith based solely on fear or punishment or hope of reward tends to look and rely on loopholes: How far can I go?  How little can I give?  What is the minimum I must do just to get by?

While religion and faith based on love, always seeks opportunities: What more can I do to help?  Is there someone in need?  Let me walk that extra mile...  Love seeks only to be of service.  

So what it really comes down to is what is our relationship with God like?

• Is it based on fear or love?

• Fear tends to paralyze.  Love releases.

• Fear imprisons.  Love frees.

• Fear sours.  Love sweetens.

• Fear wounds.  Love heals.

• Fear avoids.  Love invites.

Do you know Jesus tells us 15 times in the Gospels NOT to be afraid?  Or as he told us last week: Do not let your hearts be troubled??  St. Augustine once said, “Love God, and do what you want.”  For when we truly love God, we will be drawn to do good.

Many of us will remember singing a song still in our hymnals:  They will know we are Christians by our love.  By our love.  Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love.

And the question is:  will they?