Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
A few years ago, every Sunday morning, I would visit a middle-aged ailing woman to nourish her with the Body of Christ. After I read to her the Sunday Gospel, she would humbly ask if she could share a short reflection before receiving Holy Communion.
One reflection she shared has remained deeply etched in my heart. She spoke about the love of God in her life. She said that when she was still in the pink of health, she never failed to attend Sunday Mass, faithfully expressing her deep love for God.
But what was even more moving was what she said next: Now that she is sick and no longer able to go to church, she still feels that same love of God. Why? Because God continues to sustain her with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
In the Gospel, Jesus assures us: “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them (John 14:21).” These words are not just promises—they are living truths. We see them fulfilled in the life of this woman, who loved God faithfully in her strength and, in her weakness, experienced even more deeply the love that God had always been giving her.
This gently reminds us of a profound truth: our life is short, fragile, and uncertain. While we are still strong and able, we are invited to respond to God’s love—to come to Him, to be present at Holy Mass, and to open our hearts in worship and gratitude.
And when we are no longer able—when sickness, age, or limitation comes—we can still remain united with Him through prayer, through spiritual communion, and by participating in Holy Mass via television or online.
We do not do these things out of obligation, nor because we expect something in return. We do them because we love—because we have first been loved by God in ways deeper than we can fully understand.
The love of God does not diminish in our weakness. If anything, it becomes even more evident, more sustaining, and more personal. The question is not whether God loves us—He always does. The question is whether we allow ourselves to receive that love and respond to it with our whole lives.
So today, let us pause and reflect:
In the strength we have now, even in our
future weakness and sickness, how are we choosing to express our love for
God—and are we truly allowing His love to transform us? —Marino J. Dasmarinas
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