Gospel

John 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one's life for one's friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

Reflection

I really like the distinction between someone who is our master and we are their slave, and someone who is a friend. Masters are usually not loved, depending upon how kind they are. But the one thing that is so clear that when you have a master slave relationship, you're not on the same plane in any way, shape or form.

One is more powerful than the other. But in friendship there is something so radically different. It's not about one being better than the other. It's about a mutual conviction that each has power, wisdom, goodness. It's a world of equals. We're not really equal to God in that sense, but we are made like him. We are from him. We, if we open our hearts, will understand him.

He is our friend and we are friends with each other.

Closing Prayer

Father, you have made us for community. For being one with each other. And it's a shame that we find ourselves so often judging each other and criticizing and not opening ourselves to the honesty and the truthfulness that true friendship really establishes as its root, as its groundedness. Help us to be open to one another. Help us to be vulnerable as we seek union with each other. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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