Fifth Sunday of Easter “What’s Love got to do with it?” Everything. It is the source, the summit and the font of Life in Christ. (It is way much more than a popular song sung by Tina Turner and written by Graham Lyle and Terry Brittan).

Love is the Commandment of Christ. "Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." (John 21) God’s Divine Love created us. God’s Divine Love has redeemed us by Christ’s Blood on the Cross. In addition, it is God’s Divine Love with Christ, the Holy Spirit, that guides us in faith and wisdom, defends us and protects us in the trials and tribulations of life. Love is everything.

Moreover, this everything, God’s Love, calls us into a life of Love. A Sacramental Life of Love for the good of our own excellence and for the abundant life, which Christ ended last week’s gospel with, that we may have His abundant and Divine Life of Love for all eternity.

We shall receive that Divine Love Life (eternity) by sharing in His Love today. By accepting the gifts of His Divine Love in-and-through the sacramental life of the Church. We acknowledge God’s Love in the graces (another word for Love) of the sacraments—in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, Christ enters into the marriage to raise it to a Sacrament and give it loving strengthen. In Baptism and Confirmation, we receive His Love in the Holy Spirit, that when nurtured by faith in the family, the baptized child and confirmed young adult learn how to return God’s Love through righteous decisions in their lives. In Confession, we receive His Love in forgiveness and strengthen to fight temptations and grow in faith. And so on and so on—in all Seven Sacraments of the Church.

Moreover, when we receive those Sacramental Graces—Love—we live the life that God has called us to, His Discipleship. “Jesus answered and said to him, whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. ” (John 21) This is what we are all called to—a life of Love, Divine Love, that will lead to doing noble good in this world and living Nobly in the world to come. And one more gift of Love from God, the sending the Holy Spirit to guide us in Wisdom, Courage and Fortitude, among other gifts and fruits. Amen!