JOHANNINE HOURS July 95 John 13,31-35 __________________________________________________________ [The "Johannine hours" are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the Bible passage with the short commentary and to reflect on the questions which follow. Afterwards, a small group people can meet to share what they have discovered and perhaps for a time of prayer.] Why is it that Jesus speaks of glory at the moment he is about to be handed over to an ignominious death? (The word "glorify" is found five times in vv.31-32!) It is love that glorifies the "Son of man." He is already "glorified" because he has loved without keeping back anything for himself. When Judas leaves to get those who are going to arrest Jesus, the die is already cast: Jesus will give his life for those he loves. The glory of love will shine forever on the cross. "God will glorify him in himself and he will glorify him very soon." That means: God will raise up Jesus so that he can henceforth love always and everywhere, giving himself as the life of the world with no limits in time and space. Jesus knows that, in their sadness or their confusion, the disciples will look for him. So he tells them where they can find him. Not in a place which is far away and inaccessible, but in the love they will have for one another. Christ leaves with them, as a testament, the commandment to love one another. This is a "new commandment" because Christ does more than just give an order or an example. As the inheritance he leaves them, he places his love in the hearts of his followers. In the Gospel according to Saint John, the new commandment fills exactly the place where someone familiar with the other gospels would expect to find the Eucharist. Christ gives us the ability to love by giving himself. God does not merely express his will; he works in us what he expects of us. And not only do believers encounter Christ in their mutual love, but this love is likewise the only reality that makes the content of their faith credible and accessible to others (cf. v.35). Where do I try to find Christ? How can we make faith credible to those around us? [send a mail to listserv@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de with a line in the message body GET TAIZE-L INFO for more information about the Johannine Hours and the Taize Community.] -- Taize-Community, France. http://www.almac.co.uk/taize/taize.html E-mail: taize@cpe.ipl.fr ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/taize/johannine: jh9507.txt .