Views from the Pews – Easter V & Children’s Sunday, May 15, 2022

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

May each year is observed as Child’s Month, and among the events planned by the Education and Youth Department of the Diocese to keep the focus on children, is the celebration of Children’s Sunday on the first Sunday of the month.  Where this is not possible in any congregation another Sunday may be chosen, so for us, today is Children’s Sunday in the Cure.

One of the features I notice of the observance of Child’s month, which I have seen in practice elsewhere, was the collection of a Special Offering in each congregation for the support of the Children’s Homes run by the Diocese.  The collection was to be lodged to the Diocesan Church Fund and distributed in equal portions to the Clifton Boy’s Home in Darliston, St. Monica’s Home in Chapleton, and the Wortley Home in St. Andrew.  Showing love in a tangible way to children in homes is an excellent gesture and is worthy of serious consideration by our congregations as something we may wish to do.

Among our primary responsibilities as Christians young and not so young,  is the practice of praying and loving.

In today’s scripture story, Jesus is teaching his disciples a new rule.  He tells them to, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

A very important thing about this rule is that Jesus was already living that rule.  He had already shown his disciples how to love one another because he had already been loving them.

And, because Jesus loved us first, then the disciples were able to see and know what Jesus meant when he said, “As I have loved you.”

Contributed