Gospel: John 14:21-26
Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father; I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.”Judas—not Judas Iscariot—asked Jesus, “Lord, how can it be that you will show yourself clearly to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; and we will come to him and live with him. But if anyone does not love me, he will not keep my words; and these words that you hear are not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.I told you all this while I am still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.

Reflections

“If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father.”The one who loves Jesus is the one who keeps his command- ments, and also the one whom the Father will love. This is the logic of Jesus. The disciple finds his connection with the Father be- cause of his love for Jesus shown by keeping his commandments. Jesus adds, he will clearly reveal himself to him.This logic is not readily under- stood by Judas, not the Iscariot. So Jesus has to repeat his statement with an additional information. He and the Father will live with him.Time and again, the devoted disciples do not understand what Jesus wants to communicate. They have a history of not understan- ding. So Jesus promises them to send the Holy Spirit to help them. The Holy Spirit will teach and re- mind them of his teachings which they find unclear.We Christians of today, too, fail to understand God’s message to us. That is why we also fail to ap- preciate his gifts to us. These are none other than God’s relation- ship and indwelling in us. We also need the light of the Holy Spirit. Research, theological books and lively debates about him are not enough. The Holy Spirit explains God’s mysteries through our hearts.
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