Say "I love you" with deeds.

SAY 'I LOVE YOU' WITH DEEDS

Jn. 13: 31-33, 34-35

There are three words that Jesus longs for us to say to Him in our thanksgiving at Holy Communion.  The words are 'I love You'.  Am I right in saying that so often these words are not said because of the many requests we make of Jesus?

We all need to hear these three words 'I love you' when they are said with meaning.  Eliza Dolittle in 'My Fair Lady' once sang, 'If you’re in love, show me.'  In today’s Gospel reading Jesus said essentially the same thing.

It was said during His last moments with His Apostles when He was giving them their final instructions.  “Love one another.”  To make sure they knew how to love one another He added, “Just as I have loved you.” Jesus could not have been any clearer. 

It is a good thing for a husband or a wife to say 'I love you' to each other; for children to say this to their parents; and for young people in love to exchange these words.  Yet, by themselves these words are not enough!  Interflora used to have the advertising slogan 'Say it with flowers' but they are not enough either.  The only real way for you and me to say 'I love you' and show that we mean it is with deeds.

That is how Jesus loved His disciples.  He told them the truth.  He never deceived them about anything.  Without this basic honesty, all our protestations of love mean absolutely nothing.  Two people will never become friends if they habitually deceive one another.  We should tell our wife or husband where we are really going and where we will be staying.  Love must be backed up with the truth.

Kindness, too, is important.  Jesus was always kind to His disciples.  He could be firm with them when the occasion called for it, but He was never unkind.  He encouraged, complimented and forgave.  At times, He would correct their attitudes or their actions, but He never launched a personal attack against any of them.  He never spoke an insulting word to them.  That is to be the pattern which we are to follow.  That’s what He meant when He said, “Love one another, just as I have loved you.”

There are times when kindness requires thought and effort.  We must be sensitive to other people’s feelings.  In what we say or do we are not to inflict needless pain.  If it does, then we must leave that word unspoken or that deed undone.  In doing this we are implementing the golden rule - treat others as you would have them treat you.  There can be no love without kindness.

Together with the words 'I love you' we must be prepared to make sacrifices.  Jesus set us that example.  By dying He made the ultimate sacrifice to save us.  He also made many others that were less dramatic.  He gave His time.  We are told that some days He worked so hard that there wasn’t even any time for Him to eat.  He gave His energy. On one occasion as He crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat, He fell asleep.  He had spent His energy and was obviously exhausted. 

You cannot say you love your wife or your husband if you seldom or never subordinate your wishes to them.  Nor can you love your children if you seldom or never change your plans to spend time with them.  And you cannot say you love Jesus if you seldom or never find time every day to show that you know Him, love Him and are serving Him by the way you live your life.

I remember reading a book about an Irish woman called Christine Noble who went to Ho Chi Minh City in 1989 to help the hundreds of orphans roaming the streets.  She fed them, gave them shelter and a school to attend.  Her work was televised.  It showed a frail little boy who had been found in a dustbin.  Of course, Christine took him in her care.  No one need ask if Christine Noble was doing God's work by loving those street urchins, because she was helping them in the most convincing way possible – with personal sacrifice.

Lord Jesus, let us remember that there is only one way to say, “I love You” and that is by our deeds for You, our family and our neighbours near and far.

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