Fr. Rick’s Gospel Reflection for 5th Sunday in Easter C

May 18, 2025

John 13:31-33a, 34-35 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051825.cfm

Our Last Will and Testament

A man was on his deathbed with his family around him. Before he could give them his last will and testament, he died. A few days later, an attorney read out the last will and testament.

To one son, he wrote, “I am giving you all the houses on the South side of Main Street.” To a second son, he wrote, “I am giving you all the houses on the mountain.” And to his daughter, he wrote, “I am giving you all the condos on the beach.”

When he finished, the attorney said, “I didn’t know your father was such a rich man. “Rich! Answered his sons. He wasn’t rich. He had a paper route.”

In today’s Gospel, we hear about our Lord’s last will and testament. Jesus’s last will and testament are unlike any other. Poor Judas didn’t hear a word. He was scrambling around making his plans, which included the Lord for that evening to get his 30 pieces of silver.

All that Jesus said to his disciples and all that they saw him do over the last three years came down to one thing: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another… as I have loved you.”

Jesus didn’t leave his disciples a bank account or houses on the beach. He didn’t even leave them a paper route. What did he leave them? He left them himself and each other. He left them one line to ensure they could do all he did.

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

This one line sums up his whole life. His love forgave, healed, and challenged. The love of Jesus formed a community of people who, like Jesus, never gave up on each other. Jesus never gave up on Peter even after Peter denied him. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. I still trust you because you love me.

Here you and I are, a couple of thousand years later, loving each other with the same love.

Author Stephen Auth writes about his experience evangelizing people on the streets of New York City in his book, The Missionary of Wall Street. He says,

If you want to develop the heart of a missionary, be attentive to Jesus’ presence. Jesus is there with you. Feel Him, smell Him, and become Him (for each other). It’s his heart you’re after. The secret to the heart of a missionary is love. You must love everyone you see, no exceptions.

How do you do that? How can you possibly love everyone, especially the rude and disrespectful ones who stream past you in SoHo thinking you’re a homeless person?

The only answer I have is that the heart of Jesus is in each one of us. Find his heart in yourself. Then let it instinctively pour out on the streets from within you. Love. Don’t think.1

We are not on the streets of New York, but we have the same challenges to love with the heart of Christ. We have the same challenge of letting a little bit of ourselves die to be with each other, and all we are going through.

When you’re about to be with someone, even if you’re driving in the car and they cut you off, find the heart of Jesus within you to love that person that moment. I promise you this: you will find it, and what a difference it will make for them and you.

So, what will be in our last will and testament? We are writing it every day.

Love Your Neighbor!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC

www.bscchurch.com