The commandment to love our neighbour was given in the Old Law, but the Jews limited its practice to those of their own nation and religion; their brotherly love was, therefore, by no means universal. But our Lord has commanded us to love all men, giving His own love for us as a model for our imitation. He showed love in the most perfect form, by laying down His life for all men, just and unjust, friends and enemies; and by His death He has won for us grace to overcome selflove and to practise a supernatural love of our neighbour.
Heaven. There is a heaven, and our Lord in the most distinct terms promises the possession of it to those who love Him. He promises that where He is, in the glory of heaven, there shall His own be also. “What the Almighty Son asked of the Almighty Father as His will (‘I will’) cannot be unfulfilled; for the will of the Father and of the Son is one” (St. Augustine). The happiness of heaven will consist principally in this, that we shall gaze for ever on the glory of our God and Saviour.
Hell. He who does not “abide in Jesus”, that is, he who is not united to Him by sanctifying grace, but is separated from Him by mortal sin, shall be cast into the fire like a withered vine-branch. Our Blessed Lord does not say that the dead branch, cast into the fire, “is burnt”, but “burneth”, i. e. burns for ever without being consumed.
Prayer in the Name of Jesus. Our Lord solemnly asseverates (“Amen, amen, I say unto you”) that we shall be heard if we pray in His name. We pray in the name of Jesus when we pray with full confidence in His merits, and in the mind and spirit of Jesus. This promise of our Lord ought to impel us to pray to Almighty God with great confidence.
Application. Are you a living branch of the vine? Are you in a state of grace? If you are in a state of mortal sin and have thus forfeited sanctifying grace, and if you die in that state, you must go to hell. If you are so unhappy as to commit a mortal sin, remain not in a state of sin, but do penance, and confess your sin as soon as ever you can, so that you may become once more a child of God, and a living branch of the vine.
As we can do nothing without the assistance of God's grace, we require many graces every day of our lives. Now, since we can obtain grace only by prayer, you see how necessary prayer is. Pray, therefore, devoutly every day that you may obtain grace and be saved. You must be especially careful about your morning and night prayers.
