Daily Gospel Reflection for May 15, 2020

Reflection by Joe Wetterling

Today's Gospel: John 15:12-17

Do you want to be Jesus’ friend? If you do, He tells you how: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Most friends don’t insist that you follow their commands, but Jesus is not just any friend! This is the all-knowing God of the universe. This is goodness and love Himself, so His commands are perfectly good and lead to Heaven. This friend tells us “everything I have heard from my Father.” This friend chose us. He teaches us. He loves us enough to lay down His life for us — for you.

God has every right to command, since He made each one of us. We’re here because of Him. He offers His friendship to His creatures; we’d be foolish not to take it. We’ll follow His command in friendship, in trust, and in gratitude. What is the command? Jesus tells us: “love one another.” He doesn’t tell us to love our family or love people we like. He tells us to love one another. And there’s more! We are to love one another as Jesus loves us. Jesus loves us by laying down His life, and that is how we, His friends, must love others. We lay down our lives in little and large ways, in time and in talent, in forgiveness and in prayer.

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Ponder:

Where has God chosen you to bear fruit? Where are you called to love?

Pray:

Lord, thank you for your offer of friendship. Thank you for choosing me. Please give me the grace and strength to love as you do.

Copyright 2020 Joe Wetterling

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