Reflection for Tuesday May 14, Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle: John 15:9-17

Gospel: John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.  

I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

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Reflection:

The story is told about a wife whose husband has strayed so many times. Therefore, the wife’s relatives were asking her to leave her philandering husband. However, the wife would have none of her relatives’ suggestion. She instead remained in their marriage covenant. Eventually, the philandering husband was enlightened and they lived happily until the end of their lives.  

How could we remain in God’s love forever? Jesus gives us the answer, we must keep the commandments. For example in the marriage covenant, Jesus command for the couple is to be married until the end.  To share their burdens, trials and joys forever. Not to give burdens, domination and mental torture forever.    

The only way for a married couple to remain in God’s love forever is to express love until the end. But none of us are perfect; many of us sin and wander away from the marriage covenant. Nonetheless, we are not hopeless for Jesus also instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us to be within the ambit of His love again whenever we sin and stray. 

There is no perfect marriage in this world because we are not perfect beings; each of us has our own flaws and shortcomings. Therefore we should be forgiving and must always have the humility to admit our own mistakes and shortcomings.  

The love of God is always there for us each day to assure us that none of us are beyond its reach. The same with the love of a spouse for his/her beloved He/she always keeps that sacred love for his/her beloved inside her/his heart. Always hoping that the spouses who strayed would soon find the light, forgiveness and love of God.  

This is also God’s hope and expectation for you. That you may soon find the light, love and forgiveness of God which by the way is always there for you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas