Read Online
Eternal Love and Joy
Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also
love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will
remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and
remain in his love.” John 15:9–10
Imagine being loved by someone with a perfect love. Perfect love
has no bounds, and experiencing it would be the source of
indescribable joy. Now imagine further that the one who loves you
is all-powerful and all-knowing. When combined with being
all-loving, there is no limit to what such a relationship can do in
your life.
Of course, we do not need to only imagine such a love; we can
receive that love from God. Jesus’ words are deep, personal, and
intimate: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” His love
for you is not conditional, limited, or selfish. When He says to
you, “I love you,” He means it with every power of His divine soul.
Jesus beautifully describes His love for us: “As the Father loves
me…” The love the Father has for the Son is so deep, perfect, and
all-consuming that we cannot fully comprehend it, even in Heaven.
For all eternity, we will gaze with wonder and awe at this shared
love and never tire of contemplating it. What’s more, the love
between Father and Son is so strong that it cannot be contained
within Themselves. Their love overflows in superabundance, pouring
out upon us, inviting us to enjoy perfect fulfillment within
it.
Jesus’ next words are both an invitation and a command: “Remain in
my love.” God’s love for us is far more than an emotion or
affectionate concern. His love is a gift of His very Self, drawing
us into communion with Him. To “remain” in His love means to live,
move, and exist in His presence. Divine love is transforming,
enduring, and life-changing. It unites us to the divine Lover and
establishes the life-giving communion for which we were made.
After inviting us to remain in His love, Jesus clarifies how we can
receive His ongoing and transformative gift: “If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” At first, these
words might seem challenging, especially when we consider our
fallen nature and tendency toward pride. Yet they only feel
burdensome if we misunderstand His commandments.
In order to fully embrace Jesus’ commandments, we need to see them
for what they are: expressions of pure love gushing forth from the
shared love of the Father and the Son. Note that Jesus doesn’t ask
anything of us that He Himself was unwilling to do. His love for
the Father was perfect because He kept the Father’s commandments.
What did the Father command the Son to do? He commanded Him to love
with a selfless, sacrificial love, culminating in laying down His
life for us.
If we want to receive God’s love and share in its perfection, we
too must love—just as the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the
Father, and they both love us. Like Jesus, we must become an
unconditional gift of self for others. This is the nature of true
love.
By becoming an unconditional gift of self, we do not become
anyone’s savior; rather, we allow the one true Savior to touch
others through us. True love is divine. It does not originate
within us but flows from God to us and through us. If we attempt to
keep that love to ourselves, it is extinguished.
Reflect today on the perfect love within the Most Holy Trinity.
Hear Jesus invite you to share in that perfect love on the
condition that you become an instrument of it for others. This is
His commandment: “Love one another as I love you” (John 15:12).
Only in this way will we share in the perfect joy God desires to
bestow upon us for all eternity.
My loving Lord, Your love is perfect, all-consuming, and
transforming. Your invitation to remain in Your love is an
invitation to share in Your very life, the life You share with the
Father and the Holy Spirit. I accept Your invitation, dear Lord,
and vow to keep Your commandments so as to become an instrument of
Your love for others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Stained glass of Jesus at the right hand of God
Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com —
Copyright 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This
content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use.
Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use
within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without
written permission.
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.