The Commandment of Love
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Jn 15:12-17
This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.
Grace Prayed For
This scripture passage prompts me to pray for the grace to be a conduit of Christ’s love. I need the grace to see others not as obstacles or tasks, but as friends for whom Christ laid down His life. I need the grace to love selflessly, to be vulnerable, and to both share His love and be open to receiving it from others, recognizing that every person is an image of God.
Reflection
Jesus, in these words, is inviting me into the deepest part of His heart. He speaks of a love so immense that it leads to self-sacrifice, and then He looks at me and says, “That’s how I’ve loved you.” I’m not a mere servant to be commanded; I’m a friend, someone He has confided in, someone He has chosen. He has shared the intimate secrets of His Father’s heart with me. This is more than a one-way relationship; it’s an invitation into the very life of the Trinity—the dance of mutual love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This isn’t just about my personal salvation; it’s about being drawn into His mission. He chose me, not just to be loved, but to bear fruit that will last. My life, joined to His, is meant to be a wellspring of His love for others. When I encounter someone—a co-worker, a stranger, a family member—I’m called to see them through His eyes, to share in their burdens, and to offer them the same radical love He has shown me. This is how I take the message of His Body into the world: by loving others not with my own limited capacity, but with His boundless, transformative love flowing through me. It’s in this act of giving and receiving love that I become a true partner with Jesus in the restoration of all creation.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Evangelizing in Daily Life
Evangelizing isn’t just about formal preaching; it’s about allowing Christ’s love to radiate from me in my day-to-day life. I can proclaim the Gospel message by:
- Practicing genuine listening: When someone is sharing their struggles, I can offer a compassionate ear without judgment, reflecting the Lord’s own patient listening.
- Offering a helping hand: Simple acts of kindness, like helping a neighbor with groceries or offering to assist a colleague, can be a powerful witness to Christ’s selfless love.
- Being a source of encouragement: Sharing a word of hope or a sincere compliment can uplift someone and reveal the joy of living in Christ.
- Showing forgiveness: Choosing to forgive someone who has wronged me mirrors the Father’s radical forgiveness and demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel.
By living out these simple acts, I am partnering with Jesus to restore all of God’s creation, one encounter at a time. It’s a quiet, humble mission, but it is at the very heart of what it means to be united to His Body.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post