Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 14, 2021
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.”
This gospel passage is about love and joy. These are the things that God desires for us. This is an uplifting thought! But this gospel is not all rainbows and butterflies. Jesus is asking us to do something that is very difficult. In fact, he is not just asking, he is commanding.
When Jesus asks us to follow him by loving one another, he isn’t asking us to love sometimes or love only the people who are already close to us. He is commanding us to love as a way of life. That means that I need to look to the places in my life where love is lacking if I am really going to follow Jesus and experience the joy he promises. We should consider our families first; it might seem like our family members are the easiest to love but there are often real challenges in these relationships. And that’s just a start. What about the co-worker who is a very difficult person or the neighbor down the street who always creates tension? These are the people we need to love. In fact, those people are the ones who really test our commitment to Jesus’ commandment.
Just going through the process of writing this reflection has made me think of one particular person with whom I need to try a little harder to be a follower of Christ. Does anyone come to mind for you?
In the end, Jesus tells us that he commands us to love, “so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” Although the way might be difficult at times, the way is love and the destination is joy. I’ll take that deal every time, all the time.
Prayer
O God, you chose St. Matthias to join your apostles in proclaiming the Good News of Your love. You choose me this day to remain in that love as I encounter those I meet. Help me to grow in my ability to love others as fully as You have loved us in giving your life for us. Give me the patience and understanding I need to see the good in others, to see and love in them what You see and love in all of your children. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Matthias was the man who was elected to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle after Jesus' Ascension.
Because Judas committed suicide, the Apostles found themselves lacking a twelfth member. The number twelve is important in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures: Jesus had called Twelve Apostles because twelve was a Jewish number of wholeness, represented in the twelve tribes of Israel. It was important for the disciples to find someone to replace Judas.
They gathered after the ascension and had two candidates in mind—Joseph, also known as Barsabas, and Matthias. Both had come from the wider circle of 72 who had been following Jesus since his baptism by John. The disciples prayed, then cast lots; Matthias was chosen.
Soon after his election, Matthias received the Holy Spirit with the other disciples at Pentecost. He preached the good news of Jesus in Judea before going to other lands. Tradition tells of his travels among the Greeks, though the historical record is scant. It is said that he became a martyr for the faith when he was crucified by the people he was trying to convert there.
The relics of St. Matthias rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Matthias, you were elected to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle after Jesus rose—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Matthias is in the public domain. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
