Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter, May 4, 2026

Gospel

John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them

is the one who loves me.

Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,

“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us

and not to the world?”

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.”

Reflection

In this Gospel Jesus draws a direct connection between love and obedience. He doesn’t describe love as a feeling or a fleeting emotion, as we know it today. Instead, He roots love in action saying, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me". This reminds me of His earlier words in the Gospel of John, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments". His message raised a question for me... how can obedience be rooted in love?

At first glance, obedience can feel oppressive, almost like it diminishes freedom. But Jesus presents it differently. Obedience, in this sense, is not about blindly rule following, it is about trust. It is the response of someone who believes that God’s way is better than their own. When we truly love someone, we naturally want to listen to them, to honor what they say, and to align ourselves with what matters most to them. Jesus is revealing that love for Him is not proven in words alone, but in the way we live. What is beautiful is that He does not leave us on our own to figure this out. He promises the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will teach us and remind us of everything He has said. This means that living out His commandments is not something we can accomplish solely on our own strength. It is something we grow into, guided and strengthened by God Himself.