This Covid-19 pandemic gives us so many lessons and realizations to learn from if only we open our hearts and look within our souls. Amid this crisis, we must learn to obey, share, and love one another as Christ commands us.

On the night before His passion and death on the cross, Jesus commanded His disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” But how do we abide in His love? The gospel for today gives us a direct answer. It is simply by following His commands and by loving one another as He loved us.

There have been a lot of community pantries that emerged these past weeks which were inspired by the Maginhawa Community Pantry in Quezon City. These said pantries were organized in different parts of the Philippines, including my barangay in Pampanga. You can find them everywhere. That is how amazing people are. That is how God’s love works. The community pantry is a concrete example of showing how we love the least, the lost, and the last among us. Through these pantries, we can all share our love by doing what the slogan in the community pantries says: “magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan.” We experience and share love by giving what we can without seeking acknowledgment. Likewise, we also experience and express love by getting only what we need from the pantry without having to pay them back if we are unable and by contributing what we can.

I would like to imagine that God smiles on us when we follow His commandments and share our gifts and blessings with our community. We experience joy and love whenever we give of ourselves and put others’ welfare before us and when we abide by his commands. God will surely give us the eternal joy that He promised.

By: Sem. Nico Jay Z. del Mundo

Today’s Gospel

Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”