If we truly :"get" this one statement -- "As the Father loves me, so I also love you." --then we have understood a primary Gospel message.

For some time now in the world of Great Britain, the headlines have been abuzz:  Prince Harry will wed Megan Markle at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19th.  All the pageantry and pomp and splendor of this great spectacle are certain to be watched by millions.  There will be a horse-drawn, gold-lined carriage, the beauty of Megan’s wedding gown, the historic beauty of the Windsor Castle, and the inspiration of the ancient liturgy.

All of it will be scrutinized in a riveting fashion by people from every walk of life.  Why?  Because it’s a love story.  We can’t get enough of love stories.

There are the cherished love words of the apostle Paul describing both the mystery of human love and divine love:  Love is patient; Love is kind…Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…the greatest of these is love.

Jesus loved love stories too.

The heart of this Sunday Gospel addresses the issue of love head on:  “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.”  If we truly “get” this one statement –“As the Father loves me, so I also love you” – then we have understood a primary Gospel message.

Look back in the Gospels and see for yourself.  All of the great stories Jesus ever told – the prodigal son, the Good Samaritan, the woman caught in adultery, the washing of the feet, the cleansing of the lepers, the curing of the blind and the lame – all of these tell the same single tale:  Each of us is graciously, eternally and infinitely loved.

As a result of this boundless love relationship that Jesus offers to each of us, he makes only one single request – the very same one he gave to his disciples:  “This I command you:  love one another.”

What are the love stories of your life?  In your family life, with the love you share with your spouse, with the love you share with your children and grandchildren, does this not make you more aware of how your life is blessed?  The love you receive in your family life is a precious, precious gift.  Equally the love you give to your family makes you a better person. 

For myself, I have had so many opportunities to experience the love story of my priestly ministry.  Recently, I presided at the funeral liturgy of my brother-in-law Larry Hill – a brother-in-law who was a brother to me.  During this liturgy, I could feel the love of my sister Anne for her husband of so many years;  my heart went to my sister in her grieving.  Their sons, Matthew, Kevin, and Justin, shared beautifully their love for their dad; my brother and sister proclaimed the Scripture readings; grandnephews were the altar servers; and Larry’s granddaughters led us in the intercessions.   As I reflected on this liturgy, I was very much in touch with the love that I experience in our family life.

Going back to the words of Jesus, “As the Father loves, so I also love you.”  How do you experience the love of Jesus in the ordinary moments of your day?   As I walk down the corridor of St Joseph’s School at the beginning of the school day, I am moved by the precious gift of our school children -- their simple enthusiasm and love of life is such a beautiful God moment for me.

I so invite you to be grateful for the God moments that are a regular part of your day  --  the sunshine of the day, a friendly smile from someone you hardly know, or someone expressing gratitude for your help and thoughtfulness.

In today’s Gospel, you are given a sitting at the Last Supper as the Gospel is taken from the conversation Jesus had with the apostles on the night before He died.  I remind you of three actions of Jesus at the Last Supper that reveal the entirety of the Gospel.

           

--the institution of the Eucharist in which bread and wine became the Body and Blood of Christ Himself.  We are a Eucharistic community who give thanks to the Lord our God and are fed and nourished at the Table of the Lord.

            --Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to give us an example that we are to do likewise.  We are to wash the feet of God’s poor and we are to serve one another following the example of Jesus who came to serve and not to be served.

            --Thirdly, Jesus spoke those words to us:  “As the Father loves me, so I love you.”  Plain and simple, we are God’s beloved.  May we know and experience the love of God each and every day.  As God’s beloved sons and daughters, we are told in the commandment given to us  is that we are to share what we have been given.

My prayerful question for you is:  what loving words can you speak to help others understand God's presence?   In talking recently to a dad and his son, dad wanted his son to experience the love of Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist.  In his own way, the son was motivating his dad to make the Eucharist more a part of his life as well.  What was so beautiful was that dad and son were speaking words of love to each other.

What words of love can we speak to the needy and the poor in their midst?  Do the poor in our midst hear words of love being spoken to them by the faith community of St Joseph’s?

Will the members of your family hear words of love that you speak today?

Will I speak words of love to the parishioners in need on this day?

As a result of this boundless love relationship that Jesus offers to each of us, he makes only one single request – the very same one he gave to his disciples:  “This I command you:  love one another.”

Have a Blessed Day.