Fifth Week of Easter

“He who receives my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me.”  Jn. 14:21-26

In today’s Gospel, as in the whole of chapter 14 of the Gospel according to John, the theme of Love is the background melody. It is about love (companionship, friendship, service, commitment) of Jesus to each one of us, and from us to Him. It is about the Love that is “intimacy” that is why it speaks of “being with Him”, of “following Him”, of “living from Him”. Love, which is also “commitment”, to “abide in his love”, “If anyone loves Me, My Father will love him and we will come to him, and we will dwell in him”. It is therefore good to reaffirm that loving Jesus is manifested in something concrete. It’s not just nice words. Those who love Jesus demonstrate this by fulfilling his word, which He asks of us in the Gospel. He who lives in this way is loved by the Father.