The Fruit of Intimacy: From Indwelling to Encounter
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 14:15-24
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. Yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the grace to truly believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to make their home in my heart. I ask for the grace to live in the joyful obedience that opens the door to them, so that every encounter I have becomes an overflow of their indwelling love.
Reflection
In these powerful verses, Jesus reveals the mechanics of divine love. He doesn’t begin with a command; he begins with a relationship: “If you love me…” This isn’t a test. It’s an invitation to see obedience not as a burden, but as the natural, beautiful language of love. Just as we naturally want to do things for those we cherish, our “keeping his commandments” is the simple fruit of our intimacy with him.
And what is the result of this love? It is not a lonely path. Jesus immediately promises to ask the Father, who will send the Holy Spirit—the Advocate—to be with us and in us. This is the first movement of our mission: to receive. We are not left as orphans. We are filled with the Spirit of Truth. We are brought into the very life of the Trinity.
Jesus deepens this promise, making it breathtakingly personal. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” This is the pinnacle of intimacy. This is not just a visit. It’s not a temporary stay. The Father and the Son, through the Spirit, desire to build a home in our hearts.
This Trinitarian indwelling is the engine of our mission. We are called to “share and receive” in all our encounters. How can we do this? We “share” by letting the love that has made its home in us—the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, the fellowship of the Spirit—simply overflow. Our mission is not to bring a doctrine, but to bring a presence. We bring the indwelling God into every conversation, every act of service, every moment of listening.
And we “receive” by seeing every person we meet as someone Christ also loves, someone in whom the Trinity also desires to dwell. We receive their stories, their pain, and their dignity as a sacred trust. Our obedience—the command to love—becomes the very act of sharing the divine life we have first received.
Daily Evangelization and Baptismal Mission
This mission is about sharing the impact of Jesus’s love on your own life. It’s about being a witness to the restoration he has begun in you.
- Practice Presence: The Spirit is the “Advocate,” the one who “comes alongside.” When you are in an encounter, put your phone away and give the other person your full, undivided attention. Really listen. This simple act “receives” them with dignity and “shares” the presence of Christ. You are modeling how Jesus makes you feel seen and heard.
- Share Your “Why”: When you perform an act of service, big or small (helping a neighbor, volunteering), and someone comments on it, be ready to share a simple, honest word. “I just find so much joy in this. My relationship with Jesus has shown me how much love I’ve received, and it just makes me want to share that love in practical ways.”
- Speak Hope from Your Experience: When a friend or colleague is struggling, don’t just offer platitudes. Share your own story. “I know how overwhelming [anxiety/grief/loneliness] can feel. I can only tell you what’s helped me: my prayer and trust in Jesus has been my anchor. He has truly brought me peace, even on the hardest days, and I know he can do the same for you.”
- Affirm Goodness: When you see the fruit of the Spirit in someone (kindness, patience, gentleness), name it. “It’s such a gift to see how you handle [that difficult situation] with so much grace. It reminds me of the goodness God puts in all of us.” This “receives” their gift and “shares” the source of all goodness, helping to restore their awareness of being made in God’s image.
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