5/18/2025 (Sunday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 13:31-33A, 34-35
31 When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once.
33A My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
5/18/2025 (Sunday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 13:31-33A, 34-35
Jesus speaks to His Apostles, not in a moment of triumph, but in the quiet, uncertain moments before He would be arrested and crucified. His Words are not just a farewell. These are His final instructions for how His followers are to live in His physical absence. And at the heart of them is one command: love one another.
What makes this commandment “new” is not just the instruction to love. It’s the kind of love Jesus asks for: “as I have loved you.” His love was sacrificial, humble, and unconditional. He washed the feet of His disciples, including Judas who would betray Him. He healed lepers, ate with sinners, and forgave even those who nailed Him to the cross. His love crossed every boundary—race, status, gender, and sin.
We are called to reflect that same kind of love. It’s not an emotion but a decision. A love that shows up in action.
Imagine a teacher who goes out of her way to help a struggling student, not just in academics, but also with kindness and support at home. She listens, encourages, and fights for that child’s dignity. That’s Christ-like love.
Or picture a neighbor who brings meals to an elderly couple during a storm, checks in daily, and provide for their other needs, simply because it’s the loving thing to do.
In a world often driven by self-interest, fear, and division, love like this stands out. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” The early Christians were recognized not by their eloquent preaching or powerful positions, but by how they loved others such as caring for widows, welcoming orphans, and sharing everything in common.
Today, we are invited into that same legacy. This doesn’t require grand gestures. It may mean forgiving someone who hurt you, calling a friend who’s lonely, standing up against injustice, or being patient with someone who’s hard to love. Small acts, done in great love, reveal Jesus to the world.
Let us be a people marked by this radiant, undeniable love. Not just in words or good intentions, but in the way we serve, speak, forgive, and live. When we love like Jesus, we carry His presence into every relationship, every room, every corner of the world.
So today, ask yourself: Who needs to experience the love of Christ through me? May we go and live the new commandment, not as a burden, but as a joyful invitation to reflect the heart of Jesus to a world longing to be seen, known, and loved.
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