Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15, 9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
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.”
Saint Matthias
1. Remain. Starting something meaningful is easy for many, but staying committed and persevering is much harder. It’s important to not just be decisive in your actions, but also to remain steadfast in the choices you make. Life isn’t solely defined by momentary decisions; it’s shaped by the ones you continue to stand by. The greatest challenge is sustaining your determination and consistently moving forward, especially when you truly believe in your direction.
2. Keep my commandments. True commitment is rooted in conviction, but it also means embracing the responsibilities you’ve chosen for yourself. If your life is reduced to mere compliance, then it’s less of a life and more like a legal system based on punishments and rewards. Life, however, is much richer; it’s about living fully and taking chances. Develop a strong sense of conviction in your actions, and those actions will guide you toward fulfilling your life’s purpose.
3. Love. Love means offering yourself and surrendering, but you can only truly give yourself to—and love—what you genuinely know and understand. It’s more than just romantic feelings; love is recognizing your own fulfillment in and through another person. To love is to reach out, and reaching out is how you accomplish your mission. Someone who loves knows how give of themselves and understand others and accept them without seeking to control.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
