Reciprocal Love

In today’s Gospel, we continue our exploration of Jesus’ message to the disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. Through simple words like “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus provides the disciples—at the bleakest time in the history of mankind—with the courage and inspiration to withstand the trials ahead, trials and suffering they can not yet comprehend. In doing so, Jesus reviews the core tenets of the Christian faith—our faith—laying out God’s plan of salvation, the indwelling of Christ in men and men in Christ, and the necessity of love beyond faith.



23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.


28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. (John 14: 23-29)

Jesus reminds us that our identification with Him, through love and living the Christian life (“keeping His word”) is what leads to righteousness in the eyes of the Lord—a total and absolute perfect, achieved only by Christ and made available to us by living “in Him.” That is, by bring Christ into ourselves (and by default, ourselves into Christ), we our brought to righteousness, mirroring the indwelling of God in Christ and Christ in God. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “All spiritual blessings are in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), and to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

We understand that Christ is the path to salvation, and that we are not saved by ourselves, as ourselves—but rather, we are saved in Christ, our personal identity lost, yet enhanced, by the presence of our Savior. As we read in Matthew (10”39), “Whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.”

In a society that places individualism and personal achievement and identity above almost everything else, this is a challenging thought. Not only do we need to have faith in our Lord, but we have to lose ourselves in Him, sacrificing our personal identity in the joy of salvation. We need to identify first as Christians, living the tenets of our faith in a daily, visible, and profound manner. The greatest of these is, of course, love, which we all too often forget about.

Without love, we cannot be saved. However, in considering salvation, oftentimes faith is placed above love in importance. But love, not faith, is the fulfilling of all the commandments, as we are reminded in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (13:2): “If I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.” Faith alone can never save, because “faith alone” excludes love. Similarly, love of the wrong things cannot save. Only love directed to Christ, reciprocating the love directed from Christ, can save. "9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10)


Inspired by the origins and spiritual history of the Holy Rosary, we continue our meditation on the psalms, one each day, in order, for 150 days. Today's psalm reminds us that even in our bleakest moments, the Lord is never far from us.

Today’s Psalm: 15: The Guest of God

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.



Day 129 of 365
Prayer Intentions: For all mothers; For the courage to lose oneself in Christ!; Unending love.
Requested Intentions: Recovery of a sick brother-in-law (K); Favor from the Lord in restoration of a life (K); End to Schizophrenia (A); For financial recovery and successful marriage (A); For restoration of a marriage (K); For financial security and housing for a son (B).
Psalm: Psalm: 15: The Guest of God