As a student at ND, it was often financially prohibitive for me to go home during the fall, spring, and summer breaks. As a result, I usually spent my breaks participating in various experiential learning opportunities offered by the then Center for Social Concerns (CSC). These experiences were some of my fondest memories at ND, whether it was addressing poverty and injustice in the Appalachia region, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Newark for a summer, exploring cultural diversity and race relations in Chicago, building homes in Mexico, or even volunteering in Puerto Rico for two years post-graduation.

I credit the CSC and its founder, Rev. Don McNeill, C.S.C., belovedly known as “Padre Don,” for providing me with all these invaluable opportunities to turn my faith into action and shape my passion for social justice. Each of these experiences offered a unique life lesson centered on the Catholic social teachings and traditions, but more importantly, they taught me the meaning of agape. Agape is a Greek word for love, not necessarily as a feeling or emotion, but rather, a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that we give to others regardless of their response.

Today’s gospel focuses on the most important commandment: “Love one another as I love you.” While Jesus exemplified the greatest form of love by laying down his life for us, here we are not being asked to sacrifice our lives for another, but rather, we are challenged to live our lives for the sake of others—a life of agape. We may not be willing to die for someone else, but are we willing to live for someone else?

As members of the Notre Dame community, we were chosen by God to bear fruit through our service to others in pursuit of agape. In doing so, we fulfill Our Lady’s mission of truly being a force for good