GOSPEL
You are my friends if you do what I command you
From the Gospel according to John
John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’
The Gospel of the Lord
For the joy!
Crystal clear, isn’t it, my husband? If we want our joy to be complete, we must love each other, and there is no greater love than that which gives life. Then there will be no greater joy than giving life for you, right? This is what the Lord has chosen us for, and this is what He has destined us for. But this is what the demon insists we don’t see, because if we do, we remain in God’s love! No more, no less. Where else can we even dream of remaining? That’s how great the Lord is. This is what He has reserved for us.
Applied to Married Life:
Peter: I often find myself very serious, when I wake up and look at myself in the mirror, when I meet someone on the street and realize I have to change my expression to smile… I lack joy, Mary. I realize the great plan I’m missing out on if I don’t fulfill the Lord’s will. Is it hard? Of course! But isn’t it worth being joyful instead of bitter? But being joyful isn’t solely up to me, it largely depends on aspiring with hope to the greatest thing, which is to partake in God’s Love. So, I intend to love you, my wife, seeking what’s good for you. The Lord commands me to do so because He wants the best for us and our union.
Mary: You’re right, Peter. We both lack joy. I will also focus on seeking what’s good for you so that our joy may be complete. There’s no better plan.
Mary: You’re right, Peter. We both lack joy. I will also focus on seeking what’s good for you so that our joy may be complete. There’s no better plan.
Mother,
We love you. Thank you for leading us to the path of the Gospel in our marriage. You are the bearer of my joy, blessed Mother.