A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John 14:21-26
Jesus said to His disciples: “Whoever has My commandments and observes them is the one who loves Me. Whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to Him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves Me will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words; yet the word you hear is not Mine but that of the Father who sent Me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name — He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Encountering Christ
Jesus is straightforward in this Gospel:
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me.
That’s clear. Love is not measured by what we say—it’s measured by what we do.
All we need to do is look at any Crucifix. That is proof of sacrificial love!!
In our time, we’ve made love something emotional, something we feel. Jesus restores it to what it really is: a decision, expressed in obedience. If we want to know whether we truly love the Lord, we don’t look at our feelings—we look at our choices.
God does not remain distant. He comes close. He chases after our hearts!
He makes His home within the one who lives His word. That is reality. The Christian life is not about chasing experiences; it is about becoming a place where God dwells.
And Jesus knows we cannot do this on our own. So He promises the Advocate—the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit… will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
I take great comfort in knowing He is always with us! We are not left to figure this out alone. The Spirit teaches, guides, corrects, and strengthens. But we have to be willing to listen.
What This Gospel Teaches Us
- Love for Christ is proven through obedience.
- God desires to dwell within us—not occasionally, but always – even in the chaos of our lives.
- And the Holy Spirit is actively guiding us, if we pay attention.
The challenge is not a lack of guidance.
The challenge is a lack of follow-through.
Actions to Live Byl
Choose obedience in small, concrete ways
Speak truthfully. Keep your word. Be patient when it’s inconvenient. Forgive when it’s difficult. Love is built in these decisions.
Create space for the Holy Spirit to speak daily
Set aside quiet time—no distractions. Ask simply: *“Holy Spirit, what do You want me to see today?”* Then pay attention.
Act on the first good prompt you receive
The Spirit often speaks in simple nudges—reach out to someone, hold your tongue, do the right thing. Don’t overthink it. Act.
Build consistency, not intensity
A steady life of obedience matters more than occasional bursts of effort. Faithfulness over time is what forms us.
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