Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
This Week’s Intention: For all victims of misfortune, that they will know God’s comfort and healing through the compassion, service, and justice of the world’s people and nations.
Today’s Gospel | John 15:12-17
Jesus said to his disciples: “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.”
From the Ninth Meditation for the Time of Retreat | St. John Baptist de La Salle
You must not doubt that it is a great gift of God, this grace he has given you to be entrusted with the instruction of children, to announce the Gospel to them and to bring them up in the spirit of religion. But in calling you to this holy ministry, God demands that you fulfill it with ardent zeal for their salvation, because this is the work of God, and he curses the one who does his work carelessly.
Let it be clear, then, in all your conduct toward the children who are entrusted to you, that you regard yourselves as the ministers of God, carrying out your ministry with love and a sincere and true zeal, accepting with much patience the difficulties you have to suffer, willing to be despised by men and to be persecuted, even to give your life for Jesus in the fulfillment of your ministry.
Prayer
Eternal Father, each day we remember your words: to love one another. Sometimes it is hard to love others. People can be uncaring or unkind. Sometimes it is hard to love ourselves. We can be insecure or impatient. We pray that you erase the hurts that wound our hearts and cripple our spirits. Help us to see others and ourselves through your eyes of compassion and hope. Help us to love without fear or conditions, even unto dying to ourselves for the sake of your Kingdom. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts forever.