"Ginatawag ko na kamo karon nga akon mga abyan, kay kon ano ang akon nabatian halin sa akon Amay amo man ang akon ginasugid sa inyo"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Juan 15:12-17)

Amo ini ang akon sugo sa inyo: maghigugmaanay kamo pareho sang akon paghigugma sa inyo.

Kon may tawo nga magpakamatay para sa iya mga abyan, ina nga paghigugma indi na gid malabawan.

Mga abyan ko kamo kon ginatuman ninyo ang akon mga sugo.

Indi ko na kamo pagtawgon nga mga ulipon, kay ang ulipon wala makahibalo kon ano ang ginahimo sang iya agalon. Kundi ginatawag ko na kamo karon nga akon mga abyan, kay kon ano ang akon nabatian halin sa akon Amay amo man ang akon ginasugid sa inyo.

Indi kamo ang nagpili sa akon kundi ako ang nagpili sa inyo. Ginpili ko kamo agod maglakat kag magpamunga sing mga bunga nga nagapadayon; agod ang bisan ano nga inyo pangayuon sa Amay tungod kay nagatuo kamo sa akon ihatag niya sa inyo.

Gani amo ini ang akon sugo sa inyo: maghigugmaanay kamo."

Prayers:

"Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola)

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Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

What is the greatest act of love – of self-giving for the sake of another? Jesus defines friendship, the mutual bond of trust and affection between two or more people, as the willingness to give totally of oneself even to the point of dying for one's friends. How is such love possible or even desireable? God made us in love for love. That is our reason for being, our purpose for living, and our goal in dying. God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. He loved us so much, some might even mistakenly say too much, by giving us the best of all gifts, the offering of his beloved Son who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. God gave up his Son so that we might become his sons and daughters, his adopted children (Romans 8:14-17).

Paul the Apostle tells us that we can abound in hope because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us (Romans 5:5). God's love has power to transform and change us so that we can be like him – merciful, kind, gracious, and forgiving. In God's love we find the fulness of grace, peace, life and joy. That is why Jesus came to give us abundant life through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment – a new way of loving and serving one another. Jesus' love was wholly directed toward the good of others. He love them for their sake and for their welfare. That is why he layed down his own life for us to free us from sin, death, fear, and every thing that could hold us back from the love of God. We are to love others as Jesus has loved us. What is the essence of this new commandment? True love is sacrificial. It gives all to the beloved. It holds nothing back. It is wholly directed towards the good of another. There is no greater proof in love than the sacrifice of one's life for the sake of another. Jesus proved his love for his disciples by giving his life for them, even to death on the cross. We prove our love for God and for one another when we embrace the way of the cross. What is the cross in my life? When my will crosses with God's will, then God's will must be done. Do you know the joy and contentment of a life fully surrendered to God and consumed with his love?

Jesus called his disciples his friends. Jesus not only showed his disciples that he cared for them. He enjoyed their company. He ate with them, shared everything he had with them – even his most intimate thoughts. And he spent himself doing good for them. To know Jesus is to know God and to understand the love and friendship God offers each one of us. One of the special marks of favor shown in the scriptures is to be called the friend of God. Abraham is called the friend of God (Isaiah 41:8). God speaks with Moses as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Jesus, the Lord and Master, in turn, calls the disciples his friends rather than his servants. What does it mean to be a friend of God? Friendship with God certainly entails a loving relationship which goes beyond mere duty and obedience. Jesus' discourse on friendship and brotherly love echoes the words of Proverbs: A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17). The distinctive feature of Jesus' relationship with his disciples was his personal love for them. He loved his own to the end (John 13:1). His love was unconditional and wholly directed to the good of others. His love was also sacrificial. He gave the best he had and all that he had. He gave his very life for those he loved in order to secure for them everlasting life with the Father.

True love is costly. Those who truly love give the best they can offer and are willing to sacrifice everything they has for the beloved. God willingly paid the price for our redemption – the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. That's the nature of true friendship and love – the willingness to give all for the beloved. True friends will lay down their lives for each other. Jesus tells us that he is our friend and he loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. He wants us to love one another just as he loves us, whole-heartedly and without reserve. His love fills our hearts and transforms our minds and frees us to give ourselves in loving service to others. If we open our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity. Do you wish to be fruitful and to abound in the love of God?