Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you:  love one another.”

John 15: 9-17

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

(“Christ in the Night” by Marc Chagall)

Stop for a moment to compare the words of Jesus to the exhortation in the Fundamental Principles below. The word “love” is used throughout both texts. Meditate on how we internalize the meaning of this word coming from the mouth of Jesus. The word is not mentioned casually. It means commitment, dedication, and sacrifice, all infused with a sensation of joy that exists even the difficult spaces we occupy when called to give freely of ourselves. All of this comes from the lens of friendship and enduring personal relationships that demonstrate our capacity to be as God calls us to be. It is a wonderful revelation about the mysterious yet personal nature of God and of who we truly are and can be.

I give you a new commandment:
Love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also must love one another.
By this love you have for one another,
everyone will know that you are my disciples.
Your life with your brothers and sisters,
centered on the word and worship of God,
is a sharing
in the memory of Christ.
You are called
to be of one heart and one mind with them
so that you can participate
in the building up of the reign of God.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, we are grateful for your wisdom and mercy but also your friendship. Through your friendship, you welcome us just as we are and without judgment. You challenge us to pursue a deeper friendship, where we recognize our faults but also our blessings, and how we can use these gifts in your service. Amen