Today St John speaks about a new heaven and a new earth. He hears a voice saying "Here God lives among men." Yes, the new heaven and the new earth is the place where people experience God's loving presence. Jesus, our Lord is God's loving presence who has come amongst us to make known to us the love of God.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to "love one another as I have loved you". Jesus loved all men wholeheartedly because He found the image of God in everyone. He was committed to love; He was covenanted to love, bound from the very beginning to be the sign and instrument of God's love for all people. He has left us a model for guidance. The question before us today is "Am I a committed Christian? Do I regard myself bound by the covenant to be the sign and instrument of God's love to people around me?" If I say 'Yes' to that, I am a genuine follower of Christ. If I say 'No', I realise I have yet a long way to go. But let us not despair. St Paul and St Barnabas encourage us to persevere in the faith in the face of trials and hardship.