‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you forever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day
you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments
and keeps them
will be the one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’ (John 14:15-21)

Reflection - Promise of the Spirit, bond of love

As we approach the coming feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost, the Gospel today focuses on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus returns to the Father in the Ascension, but remains with his disciples through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This Holy Spirit keeps us in a communion of love with Jesus, with the Father and with one another.

The commandments of Jesus are always about love - love of God and love of neighbour. Those who live by these commandments of Jesus abide with him, others and the Father in love.

Along with the call to love comes a gift to help us, to accompany us on our journey, lending knowledge, courage and a deep experience of God’s life and love.

Jesus is the reign of God in person. He is both the image of God and the model of the redeemed human being that each of us is called to be.

The Gospel makes a number of important points: the basis of our relationship with Jesus is love; Jesus’ return to the Father does not leave us orphans because his spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Advocate, will be with us always; Jesus will, one day, return.

The whole Gospel reading today is like a love poem. God’s love for us, shown clearly in the life of Jesus, draws us into love with him and one another and allows us to share God’s life both now and for ever.

You can download and print our prayers and reflections for this Sunday.

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