Today is Pentecost
Sunday, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and filled them with
His gifts. For today’s reflection, I have chosen Chapter 15 of John’s Gospel. I
think spending Sunday meditating of part of Jesus’ last will and testament,
which is what the final chapters of John are, will help encapsulate the entire
message of Jesus for us. Love one another, follow God’s laws, live a life of
service to others, and bring others to the full knowledge of God. If we can
present that report card to God at the end of our lives, we will hear Him say,
“Well done my good and faithful servant.” Now, get a cup of coffee, curl up in
your favorite chair, and read as though Jesus were sitting across from you and
speaking directly to you, because, you know, He is.
John 15 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vine-grower. 2 He
removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit
he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the
word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by
itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in
me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those
who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do
nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away
like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire,
and burned. 7 If you
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you. 8 My
Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my
disciples. 9 As the
Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide
in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his
love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my
joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 ‘This
is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay
down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer,
because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have
called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have
heard from my Father. 16 You did
not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit
that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my
name.17 I am giving you these commands so that you
may love one another.
18 ‘If the
world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world
would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you,
“Servants are not greater than their master.” If they
persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep
yours also. 21 But
they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not
know him who sent me. 22 If I
had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no
excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever
hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would
not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 It was to fulfill the word that is written in
their law, “They hated me without a cause.”
26 ‘When
the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have
been with me from the beginning.
You should lead by your example in family, among friends and neighbors, and with colleagues and coworkers or fellow students. Your examples should include putting community above self, placing respect for the dignity of others ahead of self-gratification, and demonstrating love above all. Answer Your Call.
(Reclaim God's Purpose for Faith, Family, and Work,
