Reflection
Acts 14:5-18
Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16
Jn 14:21-26
“Keep my commandments” and “keep my word” - this is how we show our love for Jesus. In return, he gives us promises meant to fill us with hope and joy. If we love Jesus, we will be loved, and both the Father and the Son will dwell within us. We believe this, and yet it can still be difficult to grasp: the Creator of all desires to come to us and remain with us always. Yes - almighty God longs for a close, personal relationship with each one of us!
The Incarnate Word of God invites us into friendship, calling us to speak with him, listen to him, and live by his commandments. We cannot say we love Jesus while ignoring his word - and we cannot keep his word unless we know it. Praying with the Living Word, Sacred Scripture, and reflecting on it deepens our awareness of God’s nearness; though we do not see him, we learn to recognize his presence as our hearts grow in love - a love revealed in how we treat one another.
Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, will be sent from the Father to teach the apostles and to remind them of all that he has said. This is a special grace given to the apostles as the Church’s first shepherds. Jesus does not leave them on their own; he sends his Spirit to guide them.
In the Gospel of John, we hear the word Paraclete five times. Often translated as “Advocate,” it refers to one who stands beside another - defending, encouraging, and speaking on their behalf. The Holy Spirit strengthens the apostles in Jesus’ physical absence, especially as they face opposition and persecution, as we hear in today’s first reading.
Interestingly, today is also the commemoration of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. They witnessed to Jesus, to the Eucharist, and to their belief in the primacy of Peter and his successors, as head of the Church, by willingly - and even joyfully - shedding their blood in fidelity to God. They loved him so deeply that they overcame fear: men and women, priests, religious, nobles, and lay faithful; husbands and mothers who received supernatural strength to endure heinous torture and death. At their canonization, Pope Paul VI stated: “Faced with the choice of remaining steadfast in their faith and of dying for it, or of saving their lives by denying that faith, without a moment’s hesitation, and with a truly supernatural strength, they stood for God and joyfully confronted martyrdom.” Jesus did not abandon them; he sent his Spirit upon them, as they forgave their executioners and met death with supernatural fortitude. May we never be put to this extreme test, but may we always be willing to stand for God, with the same unshakeable loyalty as these Holy Martyrs.
Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to love you by keeping your word. Send your Holy Spirit, our Advocate, to teach us, to remind us of all you have spoken. Make your dwelling within us, so that our lives may reflect your love in the way we treat one another. We ask this in your name, Amen.