For us Christians and disciples of Jesus, reciprocated love is the condition without which we cannot complete our discipleship and, consequently, our mission. It is treated by the commandment given by Our Lord.

This love, therefore, is not an end in itself. It is the concrete way with which we can say to Jesus: “Your love is all for me”. the strength to live reciprocated love does not come from us: it is because Christ loves us that we are capable of loving one another.

The Lord directs to us these marvelous words: “I no longer call you servants… but I called you friends.”

Before some situations of betrayal in some friendships we feel, many times, “useless”, believing that we remaining  with the one whom we would consider our friend was in vain. And, however, The Lord calls us friends, we become His friends, He offers us His friendship.

The Lord defines friendship in a double way. There does not exist secrets among friends: Christ tells us allHe hears from the Father. He offers us His full trust, and with trust also knowledge. He reveals to us His face, His heart. He shows us His tenderness for us. His passionate love that is going to the craziness of  the cross. He entrusts us and gives to us the power of speaking with Him. Jesus trust His Body – the Church – to us. He trusts to our weak minds and hands His truth, the mystery of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the mystery of God “Who so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” (cf John 3:16)

Christ resurrected makes us His friends. And We? How do we respond? What the Lord teaches us is pardoning, welcoming, understanding, dialoging with our brother, especially when something is not going well.

The second element, with which Jesus defines friendship, is communion of wills: “You are my friend, if you do what I command you.” We will only be friends of Jesus if we love Him as he loves us. If we go through the world doing the good that He does. The friendship with Christ coincides with what is expressed in the prayer of the “Our Father”: “May you will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

In this communion of wills our redemption is realized. Being friends of Jesus, we become friends of God. The more we love Jesus, the more we know Him, the more we grow in the true freedom and the happiness in being redeemed.

“It was I who chose you and destined you to go and bear fruit, and fruit that will  last.” We are from the Gospel, sent to announce the Good News of salvation. So we should be animated for a “holy preocupation”: of bringing all the gift of faith, the friendship with Christ. In truth, the love and the friendship of God were given so that they may reach the others. We receive faith to bring it to others. We are disciples and missionaries to serve others. And we should bring fruit that lasts.

The desire of all and whatever man is to leave a trace of perpetuity. And what remains? Money and riches? No! Also the buildings don’t remain. the books don’t either. After a certain time, more or less, all these things disappear. the only thing that remains eternally is the human soul. Because “you were created for greater and eternal things,” Says Saint Augustine. You were created by God for  great things, Man! Your place is Heaven. It is Eternity. Then work  for fruit that remains eternally.

We ask  the Lord to help us give fruit. And fruit that remains. Only then will the Earth be changed from a “vale of tears” to a “garden of God.”

Padre Bantu Mendonça

Fr. Bantu Mendonça Katchipwi Sayla is a priest for the Diocese of Tubarão, Angola