Easter and Jesus’ call to LOVE not Hate

This was our second year to attend the Saturday evening Easter weekend Catholic Mass at Holy Cross Abbey, which is right on the Shenandoah River outside Round Hill and Purcellville in Northern Virginia, near Winchester.

The service was a little over two hours long, and started with the lighting of a special fire by the monks outside the chapel. We then lit candles and went inside for the service.

Happy Easter, everyone. Praise God Jesus came to teach us how to LOVE each other, to care for our neighbors and help HEAL our world.

If you happen to read about others today professing a gospel of killing, violence and hate “in the name of god,” do not be deceived. That is heresy, and is not of God or from God, or from Jesus Christ.

These Bible verses can be helpful and instructive on this topic:

“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NIV)

Also:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1 (NIV)

Remember to discern the spiritual nature of others (metaphorically “every tree”) by their fruits:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)

Praise God that Jesus came to give us a NEW covenant, sealed in the blood of his crucifixion and  miraculous resurrection which we remember and celebrate at Easter as His followers.

The Greatest Commandment

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

The New Commandment

“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.”

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Jesus is love and commands us to follow his example, loving each other.

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.”

1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)

So ends my Saturday night sermon.

Happy Easter!

Let us go forth as brothers and sisters in Christ, healing our world together through the power of Jesus Christ.