Sunday Readings: Acts 10.25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 John 4.7-10; John 15.9-17
After his last supper with his disciples Jesus talked with them. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and live in my Father’s love. All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15.9-13).
Love is a verb. We humans can give of ourselves to others. We can communicate and open up about who we are, even though we always remain mystery even to ourselves. We are social beings. In our intimate relationships we in a sense create each other. We let others know us and share who we are with them. In being known we recognize ourselves. In loving and being loved, we flourish.
Marriage recognizes love as a sacrament. Friendship is a sacrament, too. In fact in Sunday’s gospel, Jesus identifies his disciples as friends, as people whom he loves. Beloving a friend is believing in the person. A friend is an equal, capable of returning love for love, of treasuring the gift each is to the other, sharing laughs, sharing pain.
Some people think disciple is a stronger word for our relationship with Jesus than friend. In John’s gospel Jesus calls his followers friends, people for whom he lays down his life.
- Whose friendship is life-giving to you?