Memorial of Saint Athanasius (+373), Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt.

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

John 15,9-11

I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. 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 own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Continuing the discourse to the disciples, Jesus openly confesses the nature of his love: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you." Jesus does not feel diminished, as we usually think, in saying that his loving the disciples is the fruit of a greater love, as we generally think. Blinded by the need to appear original and to not depend on anyone, we are ashamed to admit that our happiness depends on the love of another greater than ourselves. In short, everything, even love, must be mine, must start from me. The culture of individualism, which is gaining more strength and threatening to disintegrate every communion, is to blame. Independence from others does not lead to love, but to the contrary: loneliness. Jesus, on the contrary, demonstrates that his love for the disciples starts with the Father. The invitation to the disciples to remain bonded to him, like branches to the vine, as humble men and women, is born from this conviction. We need to realize that staying alone dries up our feelings and weakens our arms, so much so that we become incapable of being concerned and unable to serve anyone else but ourselves. Sign of this humility is to find joy in the joy of those who are close to us, as the Lord invites us to do with him.