God's Indwelling In Those Who Keep His Commandments

Let us pay attention to these unmistakable Gospel words.

14:23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

What a telling sentence! If or when we love Jesus, then we are faithful to his words; if and when we are faithful to his words, then God, the 3 Persons - One God will make home within us! To paraphrase this, if we have Jesus, then we have God. Don’t we want to have God? Don’t we want to have Jesus? Of course, we do; for if we do, or when we do then we have everything we could want. And whatever else we do not have does not matter to us. Don’t you think so? I mean if we have the GIVER, then we can have all the gifts we want! But of course, this means our desiring ONLY what God thinks is good for us. Thus, if we do not have something, most probably that or those other things are not deemed by God to be good for us.

Let us even more pay attention to the particular manner God will speak to us.

14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Then in a very special way, this Divine presence will come our way through the Holy Spirit. This means God will always make magical things or wondrous things for us that we ask for and that we need. If we’re in the midst of our personal troubles even tribulations, the Holy Spirit will tell us the right thoughts, will provide us with the proper courage & tenacity, will encourage us with the clearest vision & commendation. And, most probably, will even open, or lead us to, even directly provide us the opportune resources and goodies we would think necessary for our survival and security. Spiritual and material, the Holy Spirit will assist in God’s time, in Jesus’ time for us.

Let us even more pay attention to the Gospel’s real assurances.

14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Even more explicitly, thus, did Jesus assure us – just like John Paul II repeatedly was reminding us of his words, "Be not afraid!" How is this??? If we open ourselves to Jesus’ giving us his peace, his only kind of peace that the world can not give; then, there is nothing in the world, nothing in life that can and should bother our peace of mind! We will be as stable and firm as a rock in our trusting of the Lord Jesus. Why? Because he told us so NEVER LETTING OUR HEARTS BEING TROUBLED as long as we turn to his peace.

The above verses are reminiscent of similar words of the Lord in John 14:12-14. Quote: I solemnly assure you, the man who has faith in me will do the works I do, and far greater than these. Why? Because I go to the Father, and whatever you ask in my name I will do, so as to glorify the Father in the Son. Anything you ask me in my name I will do. Unquote.

By way of example this Sunday’s First Reading gives us the following concretization when a person and her household keeps herself and her household faithful to the word of God, and what the Lord therefore does to that household.

16:14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 16:15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.

Let me add, and her household has become home to God’s messengers, Paul and company.

But please be warned IF AND WHEN we are not faithful to Jesus’ words, if and when we do not have the love for Jesus. Jesus said if that were the case, then we do not have Jesus in us, then we do not have God IN US. And it goes without saying we shall be without all the Holy Spirit presence and assistances, and assurances. Then we shall, indeed, be most afraid!

Jesus was even more emphatic in John 13:48, quote: Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken – it is that which will condemn him on that last day. unquote.

But, rather, beholden and pleasing to the Lord in all our ways, let us, then, in the words of the psalmist verbalize our grateful and joyous invocation of God with the following Psalm 67:

67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

67:2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.

67:3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

67:6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.

67:7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.