Painting by William Holman Hunt, 1854.
In today’s Gospel reading, we find ourselves listening to Christ as He speaks with His disciples the night before His Passion. The Apostles are troubled and confused. They know something is about to change, but they don’t truly understand what lies ahead. And then Jesus says something that cuts straight to the heart: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”
This statement is simple, but also very straightforward. We often think of love as an emotion, something warm, comforting, akin to a hug. But Christ speaks of love differently. To love Him is not only to admire Him or speak kindly of Him. It is to follow Him and trust Him. You see, to really love Christ is to remain faithful to His teachings, even when doing so is difficult.
St. Judas then asks Our Lord: “Master, then what happened that you would reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” In other words, why do some recognize Christ while others turn away from Him entirely? Why do some hearts seem open to God, while others remain closed?
Jesus responds by turning once again to love and obedience. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him.” In short, the Lord reveals Himself most fully to those who welcome Him. After all, God does not force Himself upon us. He wants us to take the next step, as we all have free will, and He will always respect the choices we make. Christ never ceases to be at the door. We must be willing to open it!
And then He says—
“We will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”
Just take that in for a moment. The God of the universe desires to dwell within our souls. He does not remain distant or unreachable. He draws near us! He desires communion with us! But, naturally, we can get sidetracked, spiritually lazy. Discouraged, even. But Jesus does not leave us alone. He promises that the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” The Holy Ghost continues to guide us every day, drawing us back whenever we begin to wander from Christ.
As we continue through the Fifth Week of Easter, may we ask the Holy Spirit to deepen our love for Christ and help us keep His word! May we never forget the incredible promise Our Lord gives us today: if we remain close to Him, He Himself will come and dwell within us!