Acts 14:21b-27; Rev. 21:1-5a; Jn. 13:1, 31-33a, 34-35
The passage begins with Jesus' declaration of glory: "Now the Son of Man has been glorified." It is important to understand that in John's Gospel, glory is intimately connected with the cross. The cross, a symbol of shame, becomes for Jesus the very throne of glory. The Old Testament offers glimpses of this paradox. The suffering servant of Isaiah (Isaiah 53) bears our infirmities and
is "wounded for our transgressions." Yet, through his suffering, he justifies many. This same glorification through suffering is mirrored in the first reading from Acts 14, where Paul and Barnabas declare, "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God."Suffering becomes not a detour but a pathway to divine glory. Paul, beaten and rejected in city after city, continues his mission, appointing elders, strengthening disciples, and recounting the marvels God had done among the Gentiles. His perseverance is rooted in love—love for Christ and for those entrusted to him. This is the same love Jesus speaks of: not theoretical or convenient, but costly and sacrificial.
When Jesus calls this a "new" commandment, He is not erasing the old but fulfilling it. The Old Testament already teaches love: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). But Jesus intensifies it—"Just as I have loved you." This love is incarnational, forgiving, boundary-breaking. In Hosea 11, we see God's tender love for Israel despite their rebellion: "I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love." God's love is not transactional but relational and enduring.
Jesus gives this command not to a gathering of saints, but to a group that includes Peter, who would deny Him, and the rest, who would flee. Yet He loves them still. His love is not contingent on their loyalty. This reveals something essential: Christian love is not about the worthiness of the other, but the constancy of our calling.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life for a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz, embodied this love. He stepped forward when another man was condemned to die, saying, "I am a Catholic priest; I want to die for that man." He did not know the man personally. Love, as Jesus taught and Kolbe lived, seeks not its own.
The first reading presents Paul and Barnabas returning to communities they had evangelized. They return not to rest but to strengthen the souls of the disciples. Their encouragement is specific: faith must endure persecution. Today, Christians in parts of the world—whether in parts of Africa, India, or the Middle East—live this reality. Churches are bombed, believers are imprisoned, and yet many respond not with hatred, but forgiveness and prayer.
A lesser-known story comes from Orissa, India, where a Christian woman named Sunita watched her husband killed in anti-Christian violence. She later said, "I forgive them because Jesus forgave his enemies." Her words echo the crucified Lord and fulfill His commandment. Her love bore witness to Jesus in a way that sermons and doctrines alone could not.
Paul and Barnabas rejoice that "God had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles." This mission of love is not exclusive but expansive. The early Church struggled with inclusion—circumcision, kosher laws, Gentile entry. But the apostles recognized that love does not build walls; it builds bridges.
Saint Phoebe, a deaconess mentioned in Romans 16, carried Paul's letter to Rome. She was entrusted with the Word because she was trusted in love. Her role reminds us that love empowers the overlooked and includes the marginalized. Today, in refugee camps, hospitals, and villages, unknown saints carry forward this work. Dr. Tom Catena, a Catholic missionary doctor in Sudan, runs a hospital in a conflict zone. Despite bombings and famine, he serves tirelessly, saying, "I’m here because Christ called me to be here."
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Love is the ultimate apologetic. In the second century, Tertullian observed that pagans marveled at Christians saying, "See how they love one another!" Their communal life, their care for widows and orphans, and their refusal to abandon the sick during plagues—these were not just humanitarian acts; they were theological testimonies.
In our age, where division and cynicism often reign, such love still speaks volumes. Consider the story of Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche communities for people with intellectual disabilities. He created spaces where the weakest were honored. His love was patient, not performative. His life echoed Jesus’ words, lived among the least.
We may not be called to dramatic martyrdoms, but we are called to daily love. Rosa Parks' simple refusal to give up her seat became a powerful act of love and justice. A less known example is a janitor in a New York school, Mr. Ramon, who learned every child’s name, gave shoes to the ones who lacked them, and brought food for the hungry. One teacher said, "He preaches no sermons, but the children believe in goodness because of him."
Jesus' words were not aimed at abstract theology but practical living. How we treat family members, coworkers, the poor, the immigrant, the lonely—this is our witness. Churches grow not merely by strategy, but by the credibility of love.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders, prayed, fasted, and entrusted communities to the Lord. Leadership in the Church is not about control but care. Love empowers others, raises them up, and makes space for the Spirit to work.
Mother Teresa once said, "Do small things with great love." She picked up dying people from the streets, cleaned wounds, and gave dignity. Her mission flowed from her deep love of Christ and His commandment.
As we reflect on John 13 and Acts 14, we are drawn into a vision of the Church shaped by love—a love that glorifies God in suffering, welcomes the stranger, forgives the enemy, and strengthens the weak.
May our communities, like those of Paul and Barnabas, be strengthened in the faith. And may our lives proclaim: we are His disciples, because we have love for one another.
Satish