Love one another as I have loved you.  Jesus commands us in John 15:12. Attractive words, but easier said than done?  Loving everyone takes too much energy and even more hard work.  Yet, it is one of the last things Jesus asked of us before returning to His heavenly home.  His fundamental idea for us all is  rooted in this great idea.  Show everyone who you are by how you love him or her! It’s as if in each instance of our lives where love is called forth from us, Jesus whispers His wonderful invitation--Come follow me!  However, when we find the situation too difficult to love, Jesus beckons us to go deeper with Come and See, and, as we know, His invitations to love seldom go away unless we do the walking.

What Jesus desires is that we love as He loved.  And loving--for Jesus, was His life’s work.  If we follow Jesus and love like Jesus, then each person we meet will say-- Look how they love everyone; they must be followers of Jesus!

Jesus also leaves behind a few suggestions of whom, how and where we might love others.  For example, each time we are asked to forgive another who has offended us, Jesus is saying Love.  Another scenario is when we are extremely busy and we are asked to share our time, Jesus whispers--Come follow Me and Love!

In those stressful times, when we pray for help and nothing seems to change, Jesus says: follow Me and Love.  And in the times we pray for help because this person is really stressful Jesus continues to utter--follow Me.  Where we share a laugh among friends and enjoy their presence, Jesus is also saying--Enjoy this Love.  Every time we love in these moments, Jesus can be seen walking among us.  Since Jesus accompanies us, He knows exactly where He wants our love to flourish.  He merely points and urges--Come and See!

Now Jesus knows our love may be mocked, ridiculed, seen as weak or never returned.  In these times, Mother Teresa urges: Love anyway!  For if we do not, Jesus' love may be denied them.  Jesus never holds back His love from us.  Then why should we withhold it from those around us.

Or we may tell ourselves how can this small act of love make a difference.  Well, as Mother Teresa knows and says so simply: What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.  It truly does make a difference.  Jesus' love passing through us always makes a difference.  It shows everyone who we are by how we love him or her.  And when we do, Jesus lives anew in us.