Core of the Heart
Homily on Friday, Fifth Week of Easter, 23 May 2025, FSpIF Chapel, Talamban
When I started preparing this homily, I opened my personal Bible to locate the passage we have read today (John 15:12-17). That Bible is what I inherited from my Dad more than forty years ago. And it has been with me since my high school years through my college, philosophy and theology up to today. So you can imagine how old and overused this Bible has been, yet very precious too since I would usually write my personal notes beside those verses that has struck me.
So when I opened it on chapter 15 of John’s gospel, I found a big heart in neon red highlighter drawn on that page with its center located on verse 13 and 14 of Chapter 15. I remember my scripture professor telling us that these two verses form the very core of the heart of Jesus’ message to his disciples prior to undergoing his passion and death. This last discourse given by Jesus at the last supper actually begins from chapter 13 and ends on chapter 17. If you take a closer look you’ll see that the middle of these five chapters is chapter 15. And if you try to open chapter 15 which has 27 verses, you’ll find out that the very center and core of it is verse 13.5 (twenty-seven divided by two is 13.5, right)? But since there is actually no verse 13.5, we can therefore say that the core of this central chapter and the heart of the whole farewell discourse are verses 13 and 14: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Brothers and sisters, these precisely are the two most important teachings Jesus wanted to bequeath to us and to all his disciples before he faced the horrible reality of death on the cross.
(1) The first point is this: the greatest expression of human love is to lay down your life for your friend or for your beloved. Contrary to what the world knows and promotes today, that the greatest expression of love is to engage in sex with your partner, Jesus tells us however that love’s greatest expression is in total self-giving, in unconditional self-offering and self-sacrifice for the good of the beloved even to the point of death. And that is why married couples promise to love one another saying “…till death do us part.” And this is precisely what Jesus had done for us on Good Friday almost 2025 years ago. He died for us on the cross because he loved us as his dearest friends, despite our sins, faults and infidelities.
(2) The second point of his teaching is this: our response to that offer of friendship is doing what he teaches and commands us to do… “Love one another, as I have loved you.” This teaching is the very heart of the Gospel and it is the very core of the heart of Jesus. Let us therefore ask ourselves, after having experienced the infinite tenderness of his boundless love, mercy and compassion, what is now at the very core of our heart?
Brothers and sisters, today let us try to memorize these two gospel verses that show us the very core of Jesus’ heart: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” And as we celebrate this Eucharist may we truly grow in this friendship with Jesus, the only connectivity that really matters in our life, always aware that we are gifted to give. GiGsss!
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