Homily for Friday, 5th Week of Easter

Homily for Friday
5th Week of Easter

May 23, 2025
John 15: 12-17
Provincial House, New Rochelle, N.Y.

The Last Supper (Pieter Coecke van Aelst)

In the Old Testament, Moses (e.g., Deut 34:5; Josh passim), Joshua (24:29), and David (e.g., Ps 78:70) are called the slaves or the servants of the Lord.  It’s not a disparaging term for them.  Likewise in the New Testament when Mary describes herself as the servant of the Lord (Luke 1:38) and Paul (e.g., Rom 1:1) and James (1:1) call themselves slaves of Jesus Christ.

At the Last Supper, Jesus takes his intimate circle into a closer relationship, a step beyond a Moses or David relationship—into one of friendship.  He demonstrates his friendship by his love, his complete giving of himself for them, even his life.

Don Bosco called all the young his friends and said for them he studied, worked, and would even give his life.

Both Jesus and Don Bosco show us the friendship to which God has called us—for the young, for one another, and for our Lord Jesus.