Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” John 14:15-21
In the todays reading Jesus speaks of not leaving the disciples as orphans even though he will soon be physically leaving the disciples. Jesus is in them and they are in Jesus. Just like the disciples we too yearn to be near Jesus, longing to belong, to be loved and to be part of a family. Faith is the key to this relationship. It is the acceptance of a personal revelation from God and choosing to live according to that revelation. Faith also unites us with one another. We are no longer orphans but brothers and sisters in Christ. Reflect today on how you can experience the membership of being in God’s family today through living in accordance with God’s commandments, prayer, and daily acts of love.