Today's Gospel

The Test of True Greatness

Welcome back & Radical and Relevant. Today's reading from the Gospel of John 15:9-17. As the father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, but the servant does not know what his master is doing. And I have called you friends. For all that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you to love one another.

What is it that jumps out at you today? It's a great reading. There's so many things. As the father loved me, so I have loved you. This is my commandment: love one another. No greater love has a man than to lay down his life. But what jumped out at me was toward the end here today, where Jesus says that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. So we're created to be fruitful. And Jesus reminding us of that today, to be fruitful, to live a fruitful life. What does that mean? A life that multiplies. And there are many, many ways that our life can multiply. There are many, many ways that our life can divide. There's many, many ways that our life can diminish ourselves and other people, our community and our culture. Our lives can multiply or divide, multiply, or diminish.

But the second line, Jesus says, he says that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide. Now what does that mean? Who should abide? That our fruit should be in him, of him, through him, with him, that our fruit would abide in him, and also that our fruit should endure. See, and greatness, things that are truly great endure. And we see that with Mozart. We see that with Mozart. It's like his music and Jews', there's true greatness there. We see that with Monet. You go and see the water lilies, 100 years old. And you see that, "Okay, there's greatness here. Beauty is still here. It endures."

And so the things that are fleeting-- there's not greatness in the things that are fleeting. There's greatness in the things that endure. And Jesus today is inviting us to live fruitful lives and to create fruit that endures. So what is it that you're doing in your life that's going to endure? Okay, raising your children, being a great grandparent, doing some work, creating jobs for people. Yes, these things endure. And most of all, what we do forms who we become. And our character endures into eternity. Have a great day. Remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.