In the profound mystery of John 15:9-17, our Lord Jesus Christ reveals the inner life of the Blessed Trinity as the source and model of all Christian love. "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you," He declares, unveiling the eternal exchange of love that flows between Father and Son. This divine love is not merely an example to imitate but a life in which we are invited to participate. When Jesus commands us to "abide in my love," He offers nothing less than incorporation into the Trinitarian communion itself. Through sanctifying grace received in baptism and nourished by the sacraments, especially the Most Holy Eucharist, we become partakers of the divine nature.
Our Lord transforms the covenant relationship from that of servants to friends, saying, "I do not call you servants any longer... but I have called you friends." This divine friendship carries immense theological significance. The God who once spoke to Moses from a burning bush now speaks to us heart to heart, revealing the Father's innermost secrets. Yet this intimacy comes at the price of Christ's sacrificial death - "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this supreme act of love is made present, allowing each generation of believers to stand at the foot of the Cross and receive the fruits of redemption.
The command to "love one another as I have loved you" establishes the new law of grace that surpasses the external observances of the old covenant. This is not mere human affection but supernatural charity - the theological virtue infused by the Holy Spirit that enables us to love God for His own sake and our neighbor for the love of God. Such love transcends natural inclination, extending even to enemies and persecutors. It finds its perfect expression in the communion of saints, where each member contributes to the good of all through prayer, sacrifice, and works of mercy. Thus, the mystical vine produces abundant fruit as divine life flows from Christ the Head to all the members of His Body.
Our election by Jesus - "You did not choose me but I chose you" - reminds us that the initiative in salvation history always belongs to God. From the eternal decree of predestination to the final consummation in glory, divine grace precedes and empowers every meritorious human act. Yet this election demands our free response, for love cannot be coerced. When we cooperate with grace and bear the fruit of charity, we glorify the Father and continue Jesus Christ's redemptive mission in the world. Thus, each act of self-giving love becomes a sacramental sign that makes the invisible God visible and extends the incarnation throughout time and space, preparing the way for the definitive coming of the Kingdom, when God will be all in all.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
