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Love That Makes a Home
Where We Are
Alleluia! Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter continues our journey through John's Last Supper discourse. Yesterday's Sunday readings reminded us that we are living stones in God's house. Today, Jesus deepens that image with an intimate promise: the Father and Son will come and make their dwelling place with anyone who loves them. The conversation shifts from a future heavenly mansion to a present, interior reality. In Acts, Paul and Barnabas experience the wild swings of missionary life, being mistaken for gods in Lystra after healing a man who had never walked.
The Word
Jesus connects love and obedience in a way that surprises us. "Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them: it is he who loves me," he says (John 14:21). This is not legalism; it is intimacy. Love is not just a feeling but a faithful response. And the reward is breathtaking: the Father will love that person, and Jesus will "manifest" himself to them. Jude (not Judas Iscariot) then asks a fascinating question: why will Jesus reveal himself only to the disciples and not to the whole world? Jesus answers by describing a mutual indwelling. "We will come to him, and we will make our dwelling place with him." The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will teach them everything and remind them of all Jesus has said.
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Reflect
Jude's question is one we might ask ourselves. Why does God seem so hidden? Why does he not simply reveal himself to everyone in an unmistakable way? Jesus's answer reframes the question entirely. God is not withholding himself; he is offering himself. But this offering requires a response. It requires love.
The image Jesus uses is domestic and tender: "We will make our dwelling place with him." This is not the language of a king demanding tribute. It is the language of a guest who wants to stay, of a friend who wants to share life with you. God does not force entry; he waits to be welcomed.
In Acts, the people of Lystra make the opposite mistake. They see the power of God at work in Paul's healing and immediately try to worship Paul and Barnabas as Zeus and Hermes. They see the miracle but miss the meaning. Paul has to tear his clothes and cry out: "We also are mortals, men like yourselves!" The true God does not come as a distant deity demanding sacrifices. He comes as a presence making a home in your heart.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, plays a crucial role here. He is the one who teaches and reminds, who makes Jesus's words come alive in new situations. When you read Scripture and a verse suddenly speaks to your circumstances, that is the Advocate at work, making Christ's dwelling place in you more real.
Living It
Create a moment of welcome for God today. Before you begin your work, take thirty seconds to say: "Lord, make your home in me today." This simple act of invitation transforms ordinary time into sacred space.
When you face a decision today, ask: "What would love do here?" Jesus ties obedience to love, not to duty. Let your choices flow from love rather than obligation.
Before bed, review your day and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of one moment when God was dwelling with you, even if you did not notice it at the time.
Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, Advocate and Teacher. Remind us of everything Jesus has spoken. Help us keep his commandments not from duty but from love. Father, Son, and Spirit, make your dwelling place in our hearts today. May our lives become homes where your presence is welcomed and shared. Amen.
Today's reflection draws from John 14:21-26 and Acts 14:5-18 (CPDV), per the Ordo Lectionum Missae.
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