A Homily for Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Friday, May 8, 2026
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12; John 15:12-17
Audio Recording
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most beautiful and demanding teachings in all of Scripture: “Love one another as I love you.” Not merely love one another as the world loves, not only when it is easy or convenient, but love as Christ loves. And how does Christ love? Completely. Sacrificially. Faithfully. To the point of laying down His life upon the Cross.
What makes this command even more astonishing is what Jesus says just before this passage in John’s Gospel: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” Think about that for a moment.
The love that exists from all eternity between the Father and the Son—the perfect, infinite love of the Trinity—is so real, so alive, and so powerful that this eternal exchange of love is Himself the Third Person of the Holy Trinity: the Holy Spirit. Yes, the very Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, cleansed us from sin in Baptism, and now dwells within us, pouring out His gifts, is the very love with which Christ loves us.
Do we ever wonder whether God truly loves us personally? The Cross answers that question forever. Christ does not love us casually or from a distance. He loves us with the very love of heaven itself. And because we have been loved so greatly, Jesus commands us to love others in the same way.
Christian love is not sentimental affection. It is a decision to seek the good of another person, even when it costs us something. It means patience with difficult people, forgiveness when we have been hurt, refraining from self-righteous judgment, compassion toward the lonely, and sacrifice for those in need. The measure of discipleship is not simply how much religious knowledge we possess or how many prayers we recite, but how deeply we love. How willing we are to let go of our own preferences and opinions in order to build others up rather than tear them down?
Jesus then says something extraordinary: “I no longer call you slaves… I have called you friends.” A slave obeys out of fear, but a friend is welcomed into intimacy and trust. Jesus shares with us the heart of the Father. He invites us into friendship with God Himself.
But notice carefully: this friendship is not unconditional in the way the modern world often imagines. Jesus says plainly, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Friendship with Christ requires obedience—not because God is harsh, but because His commandments protect us from sin and lead us to true life. Love and obedience belong together.
Finally, Jesus tells us that whatever we ask the Father in His name will be given to us. To pray in the name of Jesus means more than adding certain words at the end of a prayer. It means praying with His mind, His heart, and His will. The closer we grow to Christ, the more our desires begin to reflect His desires. We begin asking not merely for comfort or success, but for holiness, wisdom, mercy, and the salvation of souls.
Today, Christ reminds us that we are loved beyond measure, chosen by God, and called His friends. The question is whether we will truly live as His friends: keeping His commandments, loving sacrificially, and learning to think as He thinks, desire what He desires, and love as He loves.
God bless you.