Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 16, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”
Like “Judas, not the Iscariot,” I have struggled to understand the words of Jesus from today’s gospel. I need that extra clarification that Jesus so patiently provides. In years past, I have sometimes questioned whether God loves me unconditionally or only if I observe his commandments. Today, I understand this passage differently.
God does love us unconditionally and will continue to do so whether we love him or not. The words of Jesus today are not setting conditions for his love for us. They tell us how we can love him—by observing his commandments and keeping his word. The Father will help us by sending us the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us.
Whenever I reflect on what it means to love unconditionally, I often think of the gift of being a parent. My three wonderful children don’t need to do anything to earn my love. Like God’s love for us, my love will always be there for them regardless of their circumstances.
The experience of parenthood helps me better understand and appreciate God’s love for me as his child. Let us pray to be better attuned to the Holy Spirit’s promptings so that we may keep Christ’s word, responding to his love.
Come, Holy Spirit!
Prayer
Dear Jesus, you promise to be with us through the presence of your Spirit, our Advocate. Bless us with your presence and the gift of your guidance. May our efforts bring you glory. Amen!
Saint of the Day
St. Brendan is one of the great saints of Ireland. He is most famous for being the main character in the fantastic Irish sea-tale, the Navigatio, which tells of Brendan and 60 followers embarking on a voyage to find the "Isle of the Blessed"—the Garden of Eden, or paradise.
Brendan certainly was a real person, and it is possible that he even travelled with some followers to spread the good news. He was born in Tralee on the west coast of Ireland and was educated and befriended by several of the other saints of Ireland. He was ordained a priest and shortly afterwards gathered some followers and established a common life with them in a monastery.
The monastery he founded in Clonfert in 559 grew to include some 3,000 monks. It is said that an angel dictated to him the rule that guided that community.
It is possible that his travels took him to some of the British Isles. His Navigatio suggests that he even reached the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa.
A stained glass window dedicated to him colors the chapel in Dillon Hall—it depicts three yellow birds from the Canary Islands.
As we follow God on our journey of discipleship, let us ask Brendan for his boldness in following God beyond the borders of our own maps for our lives.
St. Brendan the Navigator, your faith led you to great adventures at the ends of the known world—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Brendan the Navigator is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 11, 2025.