¹⁵ If you love me, keep my commandments. ¹⁶ I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor,^[a] that he may be with you forever,—

²³ Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. ²⁴ He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me. ²⁵ I have said these things to you, while still living with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

Readings

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11

World English Bible (WEB)

²⁰ Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?” ²¹ Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

²² Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” ²³ This saying therefore went out among the brothers,^[a] that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?” ²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true. ²⁵ There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

Reflection:

God designed a different life for each of us.  Instead of concerning ourselves with the life and blessings given to others, let us first look into the life and mission given to us.

¹⁵ So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?”

He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.”

He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?”

He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.”

He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?”

Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?”He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

¹⁹ Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflection:

How will you answer Jesus when He asks you now, “Do you love me?”

²⁰ Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word,²¹ that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. ²² The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; ²³ I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Reflection:

Let us pray that all Christians, all the world rather, would be united in God’s love.

¹¹ I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.¹⁷ Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.^[a] 18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Reflection:

You can live in the world without belonging to it.

⁹ Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

¹⁷ “I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

Reflection:

Let us love one another as Christ loves us.

²⁹ His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you speak plainly, and speak no figures of speech. ³⁰ Now we know that you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? ³² Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ³³ I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

Reflection:

During the times we feel alone, we are not.  God is always with us – always.

⁴⁶ He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰ He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.⁵¹ While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven.⁵² They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Readings

First Reading: Acts 1:1-11

World English Bible (WEB)

²³ “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. ²⁵ I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, ²⁷ for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

Relection:

God loves us.  He loves you.  There’s no reason to be sad.

²⁰ Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. ²¹ A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

²³ “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

Reflection:

In times of sorrow, let us put our trust in the Lord, for the time will come that He will turn our sorrow into joy – in His perfect time.