5 May 2024 John 15:9-17

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Please read the passage before the homily.
“As the Father loves me, so also I love you.”

Moms and Dads, except, perhaps, in very rare instances, will always love their children.  It is normal for parents to love their children, no matter what.

It is possible, however, for children to lose the love of their parents.  Children who keep their parents’ commandments remain in their parents’ love; those who do not keep the commandments do not remain in their parents’ love.  The parents’ love endures just as a swimming pool holds water even after the divers have left, but the disobedient children do not remain in the parents’ love.

To obey means to listen to, to try to hear, to want to hear.  Obedient children listen to their parents.  The obedient Jesus listens to the Father.  By this listening, Jesus remains in the Father’s love and children remain in their parents’ love.

Our parents’ love has brought us to birth.  They chose to have us; we did not choose them.  We received from them.  The relationship we have with God is similar.  God chose us; we did not choose ourselves.  We belong to God and not to ourselves.  God has chosen us to be born and to bear fruit and if we obey and listen we shall bear much fruit.

All of this is summarized in Jesus’ command to love one another.  God and Jesus love each other.  Therefore, Jesus loves us and gives him self for us.  We love Jesus and therefore we love one another.  In this loving of God ourselves and others, we remain in the love that God and Jesus have for us.