Reflections

The Gospel Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (John 13:31-33a, 34-35)

by Sister Corinne Moeller

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

God sent His BELOVED SON to nurture LOVE by taking on a human nature and modelling what that LOVE could become when it was taken seriously.

God had a plan. God’s Son would follow a human pattern of life: learning, growing up, working, forming relationships with other human beings, helping LOVE to grow and spread. 

As an adult, Jesus took on his mission of LOVE by gathering close friends who shared his lifestyle. Jesus invited Andrew and Peter, Nathanael, and Phillip to follow him as well as eight others he met in his travels.

Jesus tried to teach his friends how to respect and to care for each other by example, kind and healing words. When Peter cut off the servant’s ear, Jesus cured the servant and reprimanded Peter for his violent action.

Jesus placed confidence in his Apostles and foresaw a future with them in laying the foundation for what became the Catholic church and other Christian denominations. 

Jesus always gave more than he took from his friends. He tried to spread joy where he found sadness. He surprised his Apostles, who had fished all night, by filling their empty nets to overflowing. Jesus had breakfast ready on the shore for them.

Jesus compromised on his own needs for the sake of the needs of others. He was tired and wanted to rest, but he continued to teach the crowd. He performed miracles knowing spies were reporting him to the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

Jesus did not hide anything from his apostles. He performed numerous miracles, fed the hungry, forgave sins. The apostles witnessed his agony in the garden. He told them about his approaching death.

Jesus never forced his apostles to do his will…he invited them. “Come, follow me.” He asked his three closest friends to stay awake with him in his suffering in the Garden of Olives. 

Jesus kept his promises. His mother asked him to help the wedding party at Cana by performing his first public miracle. He cured the centurion’s son. He promised Paradise to the repentant thief on Calvary.

Jesus accepted disappointment from Peter who denied three times knowing him and Judas’ betrayal of accepting 30 pieces of silver to turn Jesus over to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus was comfortable with himself when he was questioned by Pilate about his kingship and when he was verbally attacked by the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus constantly spoke of his LOVE for his FATHER and his FATHER’S LOVE for him. He tried to help his Apostles, his Disciples and the people who followed him to understand the unlimited LOVE Jesus and his FATHER had for them.

The example of the self-confidence and courage that came from Jesus allowed the Apostles to put aside their fears and to preach in the face of their imprisonments and their deaths.

“This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This Gospel of John can be a good examination of conscience on how we LOVE one another.