The readings on this sixth Sunday of Easter tell us of the formation of the early Christian community. The Scriptures tells us that love and unity are the hallmarks of this new community. The love of God is given to us freely so that we might share it with others.  “God is love”, the writer tells us – love characterizes how God deals with us. Too often we mistake love for merely a feeling. We “love” something because it makes us feel good. But love goes beyond a feeling. True love must always be about relationship.

We often hear that there are three types of friends. There are friends for a reason, friends for a season and friends for a life-time.  Friends for a reason often stay in a relationship seeking how they can benefit from this relationship.  A friend for a season is only there while things are going well. When difficulties come, they leave. Friends for a life-time are the friends who were with you when you didn’t have anything and are still with you now.

Jesus teaches that his relationship to his disciples is based on friendship for a life-time and not servitude. Jesus says, “This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you” He continues by saying, “How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your brother or sister whom you see?” How would you evaluate the type of relationship you have with Jesus? Has your relationship with Jesus made a difference in your life?

St. John reminds his community that Jesus also taught that a disciple is one who had been chosen. To be chosen by Jesus, however, is not to be set apart from the world. Instead, to be chosen by Jesus is to be sent to serve the world as he did. The disciples of Jesus were chosen and were sent into the world to bear fruit by serving others, by sacrificing for others, in love.

Jesus gives us the greatest example of the kind of love and service that he teaches to his disciples. He has laid down his life for his friends, for his disciples, and for us. In our daily life, we have many opportunities to show love in action.  If we are people who have practiced showing our love for others with generosity, we will also be people who are willing to lay down our lives for those we love.