Tagle: To follow Christ, one must love, serve

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MAERIANNE BERMUDEZ

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has advised the Catholic faithful that to walk with Jesus, one must practice love and service.

During his Maundy Thursday homily at the Manila Cathedral, Tagle expounded on the importance of loving and serving in the lives of Jesus’ followers.

“(But) we need to cross altogether with Jesus where there is love and service,” Tagle was quoted as saying in a CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) News report.

READ: Bring love to poor, Tagle urges

Tagle urged the Catholic devotees to be merciful like Jesus.

“Serve by loving until the end,” he said, adding that “love and service are inseparable.”

Tagle said that Jesus’ washing of the feet of His disciples showed that “true love is service.”

“The washing of the feet is the work of a slave. Even Christ’s death is part of His service to us. He died for us to live,” said the cardinal.

“Love and service. Love that serves. Love until the end. And serve by loving until the end. That’s how to walk with Jesus,” he said.

He said that “genuine love” comes from God and is expressed through his mercy, adding that to be merciful is to follow the humble path of Jesus.

“It’s not our achievements or the projects that we built… in the end it doesn’t matter. If you want be with Jesus the only question is did you love until the end?” Tagle asked the Catholic faithful.

“This Jubilee of Mercy, love is very concrete— love until the end,” he said.

He also urged the public to unite in bringing peace and justice in the Philippines.

During the Mass, Tagle washed the feet of 12 individuals, including Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Andres Bautista. IDL

READ: Cardinal Tagle to wash feet of poll chief for clean elections