No Greater Love

Louisa Ikena reflects on Jesus’ sacrificial love with practical examples of redemptive suffering. 

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) 

Laying down His Life is exactly what Jesus did. He suffered and died and rose again on the third day. How often do with reflect on this? Jesus lay down His life willingly. No one took it from Him. I was reminded recently that there is no love without sacrifice. Jesus gives us the ultimate example of Love. He gives us the fullest example of a life well lived and the ultimate Way to live and to love. I am blown away when I reflect on God’s love! Nothing can compare or even comes close. God’s love is beyond what we can comprehend. Yet we are blessed with experiences that can give us a glimpse of God’s love.   

"Eucharist" Means Thanksgiving

My litany of thanksgiving for God’s Love in my life keeps growing with blessing upon blessing. Each Eucharist is an event of thanksgiving in my life. I stand in awe that Jesus lived, died, and lives forevermore for every single one of us. There is no greater love. Love Himself came and was fully human and fully divine. Jesus laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice and comes to us tangibly in the form of the Blessed Sacrament.

The bread and wine at Mass actually become the Body, Bood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. As we consume the all-consuming fire of the Eucharist, our hearts are set ablaze with His love. We are joined with the devotion and worship of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the Gospel of Luke.

“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scripture to us?” (Luke 24:32) 

Offering It Up

I find the mystery of the Eucharist beyond the scope of what I can comprehend. Yet as I consume the all-consuming fire at Communion, I am then sent forth to love as Jesus loves. I start with thanksgiving, and then organically in prayer I turn my mind to little sacrifices I attempt to make in prayer. I first think of little things that annoy me. Examples of these little things include people and things that break silent prayer times in that Mass.

On a good day, I offer that up in the practice of redemptive suffering. These examples seem petty to me, but I have been taught to unite sufferings, small and large, to the sufferings of Jesus as a prayer for whoever needs it the most. The practice of offering things up in redemptive suffering helps me turn to God in prayer whatever is happening. I could be dealing with a stubbed toe, an attempt to surrender a resentment, asking God for a softening of my heart in forgiveness, or praying for my “enemies” — wishing them laughter, joy, and peace more and more sincerely. 

I have been taught that God is extremely interested in our lives, including the smallest details. I could pour out my troubles of the moment and allow the Holy Spirit guide me to exactly where I am meant to be, right here, right now.  

There is joy on the journey. And I am so thankful for great company on the way. Yes, there is no love without sacrifice, and a true friend will do anything in God’s will for another friend. I find it useful to keep it simple, offering up meaningful prayers for each other, one day at a time. There is no greater Love than this. 

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Copyright 2025 Louisa Ann Irene Ikena
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