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One Bread, One Body - Reflection for January 5, 2018

WHAT'S A FOUR-LETTER WORD FOR LIFE?

"The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us." –1 John 3:16

Love is:

• "the message you heard from the beginning" (1 Jn 3:11),
• the command of God, and a grace of God,
• "based on the truth" (2 Jn 2),
• the way we know we "have passed from death to life" (1 Jn 3:14),
• the way we know "we are committed to the truth" (1 Jn 3:19),
• the way for us to be alive in Christ and not "among the living dead" (1 Jn 3:14),
• the way to eternal life,
• laying down our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters (1 Jn 3:16) and even for our enemies (Mt 5:44),
• to be expressed "in deed and in truth" and not only in words (1 Jn 3:18),
• the motivation of a Christian (2 Cor 5:14),
• the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22),
• the essence of God (1 Jn 4:16),
• stronger than death (see Sg 8:6),
• the result of purification (1 Pt 1:22), and
• forever (see 1 Cor 13:13).

Therefore, let us ask God to grace us to receive Him, Who is Love. Let us repent and receive the Holy Spirit so that He may produce the fruit of love in our lives (Gal 5:22). Let us live in love (1 Jn 4:16; Jn 15:9). Let us have a Christmas, a year, and a life of love.

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Acknowledgement

Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:

· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College