We measure things to determine their value. Things of loftiest value receive greatest attention and appreciation. It is like the wedding rings that a couple exchange during Catholic marriage; it is a symbolic measure of the value of the boundless love between them. The value of the ring is not only in the gold or silver from which it is minted, but mostly in the boundless reality of love they have for each other.
We learn from today’s gospel how we can measure the value of God’s love for us. Jesus disclosed to Nicodemus: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. It is like Jesus is saying, “ I’m the measure or value of God’s love for the world.”
This is the inexpressible truth that the gospel epitomizes. It is what the entire gospel is and exists to announce; it is also what constitutes all our faith and the portfolio of Christian theology: the belief that God loves us, he created us, and redeems us in Christ Jesus.
The reason the church repeats these words is to awaken in us a genuine sense of wonder and gratitude for belonging to the people he loves and redeems. It is also the reason all over the world, the Eucharist is celebrated as a visible measure of God’s love for the world. The Eucharist speaks eloquently that God loves us! He loves us the world so much! Come to the Eucharistic table, where we can receive him and live in his boundless love.