"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." - John 15:12

In today’s Gospel,, we learn about the meaning of friendship, and most especially, discipleship. To most, it would seem that friendship and discipleship are two polar opposites. Friendship as something mutual and symbiotic and discipleship as something bearing resemblance to being someone's servant. But we are told otherwise.

We fail to see that both friendship and discipleship have something in common; and that is love. We love the people we are friends with and we love the person we are so willing to follow. Jesus tells us that: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you." He even calls all of us His friends! Is there anything more beautiful?

He is telling us that if we continue to love one another and to live out His commandments, we may remain in His grace and love. By doing this, we are spelling out a message that says: "Yes, Father, I will obey and love as you did."

Though we may not live in His ways, He still loves us unconditionally.

There is a particular line that hits home. "No one has a greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friend." For me, being a friend is a serious business. One that I hope I'm good at. Recently, I told my bestest friends that whoever has the guts to have the idea of even hurting them, has to go through me first. Let's just say that that talk had quite a few waterworks.

Laying your life down for your friends doesn't mean you have to literally DIE for them. The simplest of acts that show that you are there make big differences too. Jesus wants us to be a friend to others. Whoever they may be. He wants us to empathize and show compassion towards our fellow brothers and sisters. He wants us to lift each other up and not bring each other down.

Loving others through service and other random acts feels really fulfilling. My heart swells each time. And if this is what true love feels like, I don't ever want to stop doing it.


-Bea Doctor

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