In today's Gospel (John 13: 31-33a, 34-35) we return to the night when Jesus was betrayed. We return to Jesus’ teaching on love, which is worth thinking about during the Easter season. John 13 begins in the upper room. Jesus is there with all of his disciples, including: Thomas, who will doubt the Risen Jesus; Peter, who will deny knowing Jesus; and Judas, who will betray Jesus. Jesus, knowing all that is to come, washed their feet. He tells them:

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Jesus commands them to love, so that all men know that they are His disciples. One might wonder, what's new about His commandment to love? This commandment was not new. It was mentioned in the Old Testament. The greatest commandment is to love God, and the next is to love our neighbor. These are repeated often in the Old Testament. But Jesus’ commandment is new: loving just as Jesus loved.  

Jesus' love is unconditional. This is so different from how our world works, which too often involves love with an agenda or strings attached (that's not really love). Loving in Jesus' way is very freeing. In some ways, it is easier to love without keeping score, without hoping to get something in return. Just as Jesus could wash the feet of His disciples including Judas who betrayed Him, He expects us to offer hospitality and mercy to all our brothers and sisters. Even the ones who hurt us or don't like us as much. Jesus "loved them to the end" so that we might love one another in the same way. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive God's love completely, and are reminded what John told us on the island of Patmos in 1 John 3:18 (echoing today's Gospel) - "My dear little children, let us love one another." By God's grace and trusting in His mercy, we too can ask the Holy Spirit to help us love like Jesus, beyond human strength, for the glory of God.

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-- By Sr. Catherine, OP

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