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Gospel Reading for May 04, 2026 – John 14: 21-26
RADIANT FUTURE
Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name — he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
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For Jesus, the true proof of our love for him is our obedience to his commandments—loving God and loving our neighbor. If what we do in Church—our participation in religious activities, rituals, prayers, and devotions—does not translate into a daily life of love, then they become, sadly, empty spiritual exercises.
In the Gospel of Matthew 15:8–9, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me…”
This is why he strongly rebuked the religious leaders of his time, calling them “whitewashed tombs… outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead bones” (Gospel of Matthew 23:27).
As Christians, why should we waste our lives on what is empty and superficial? We are created for something far greater—we are destined for a RADIANT FUTURE in eternity. What a tragic loss it would be to miss such a great opportunity!
Lord Jesus, help us to live a life of genuine love!
