Patrick Comerford
Easter is a 50-day season, beginning on Easter Day (4 April 2026) and continuing until the Day of Pentecost (24 May 2026), or Whit Sunday. This week began with the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Easter V, 3 May 2026), and the calendar of the Church of England in Common Worship today celebrates Julian of Norwich (ca 1417), Spiritual Writer.
I sat up late into the early hours of this morning, watching the election results coming in. Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:
1, reading today’s Gospel reading;
2, a short reflection;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
John 15: 12-17 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.’
Today’s Reflection:
The Gospel reading provided in the Lectionary today at the Eucharist (John 15: 12-17) continues our readings from the ‘Farewell Discourse’ in Saint John’s Gospel/
This reading is familiar to many because of one verse that is often quoted on war memorials: ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend’ (John 15: 13).
However, in this Gospel reading, Christ is talking about death and victory in a very different context, as he continues to prepare his disciples for his physical departure from them. He has already told us that he is the ‘true vine’ (see John 15: 1), and that we are the fruit and the branches. We are to represent him in the world and to present him to the world, bearing fruit and acting in his name, loving one another as Christ loves us and as the Father loves him.
This kind of love leads to joy, the ultimate victory. Christ, who is the model for our behaviour, loves us so much that he gave his life for us, his friends, and this is the imperative for Christians to love one another.
But how do we know that we are doing this and showing that love? We know that we truly love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. Gestures of charity are simply not good enough – there must be a direct connection between loving others and living a life of holiness and sanctity.
Unlike the traditional observation and codification of the commandments, with their heavy-laden and burdensome listings and enumerations, the love of God and love of others is not a great burden for the Christian.
The first three weekdays next week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) are known as Rogation Day. But we pray then not just that the land and the fields are fruitful; Christ says in today’s Gospel reading: ‘I appointed you to go and bear fruit’ (John 15: 16).
Our faith in Christ enables us to bear fruit, but only through love. He tells us he is giving us these commands ‘so that you may love one another.’ These commands are summarised quite simply: ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13: 34-35).
Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Today’s Prayers (Friday 8 May 2026):
‘Following God’s Lead’ provides the theme this week (3-9 May 2026) in ‘Pray With the World Church’, the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), pp 52-53. This theme was introduced on Sunday with a programme update from Father Thanduxolo Noketshe, Vicar of Saint Mary’s and Christ Church in Cayon, St Kitts & Nevis.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (Friday 8 May 2026) invites us to pray:
Heavenly Father, we pray for Father Thanduxolo and his family as they serve in the Diocese of North East Caribbean and Aruba. Grant rest, refreshment, and joyful times together, so that all they do may be for your glory.
The Collect:
Most holy God, the ground of our beseeching,
who through your servant Julian
revealed the wonders of your love:
grant that as we are created in your nature
and restored by your grace,
our wills may be so made one with yours
that we may come to see you face to face
and gaze on you for ever;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God of truth,
whose Wisdom set her table
and invited us to eat the bread and drink the wine
of the kingdom:
help us to lay aside all foolishness
and to live and walk in the way of insight,
that we may come with Julian to the eternal feast of heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s Reflections
Continued Tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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