Today’s gospel comes straight after the reading we heard last Sunday, it’s part of Jesus’ teachings at the last supper. Jesus is helping to prepare the disciples for what will happen when he dies, and how they should not worry because he will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit, to be their helper. The Gospel opens with the words, ‘If you love me, keep my commands’, which we know are to love God, love our neighbour as ourselves. Jesus tells the disciples he will not leave them without help. Jesus says: “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you”. He will ask his Father to send the Holy Spirit, to be their helper. Although Jesus was talking to the disciples who didn’t know what was going to happen, his message is also for us. We know that when Jesus ascended into heaven to be with His Father the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, not just to help the disciples but to help us to love. Part of our closing reflection at meditation this week was to pay attention is to love, to love is to pay attention. Our Gospel reading reminds us of the help we get to love and pay attention to the needs of those around us.
