Gospel: John 13:31- 33a, 34-35
When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon. My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but as I already told the Jews, now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come. I give you a new commandment: Love one another! Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Reflection:
"God is love."
Read: While Acts describes the trials undergone for the spread of the Kingdom, John foretells the fulfilment of the renewal of all things in Christ, when pain and suffering are things of the past. In the Gospel, Christ gives his disciples the new commandment of love, which imitates his own self-sacrificing love.
Reflect: Christ gives us a new commandment. We, as his disciples, are to imitate him in his love, a love that gives of itself for others. This love also becomes the means of communicating that we belong to Christ: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Saint Joseph Freinademetz, a Divine Word Missionary who worked tirelessly in China, said that “the only language understood by people everywhere is the language of love.” Love must be the starting point of every missionary endeavor, since it is understood and appreciated by people everywhere. And since God is love, it is a communication of the divine, even in the simplest of gestures.
Pray: Reflect upon your commitment to working for God’s Kingdom. Think of the challenges that you face in mission, pray for a loving heart, and meditate with hope on God’s triumph over suffering.
Act: Be a source of encouragement for others in your parish, like the early disciples.
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