Alleluia.
A new commandment I give to you, says the Lord, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
Alleluia.
This Gospel Acclamation brings us to the heart of Christian life: we are called to love as Christ has loved us.
That means more than being kind when it is easy. The love Jesus asks of us is patient, self-giving, forgiving, and willing to remain faithful even when it costs something.
“Love one another, even as I have loved you” becomes the measure of our discipleship. We do not begin by asking whether someone deserves our love. We begin by remembering how generously Christ has loved us.
When His love becomes the pattern for our own, faith stops being only something we profess and becomes something people can actually encounter through us.