1. Introductory prayer 

Jesus, determined is your love. You give it to us, but tell us that keeping the commandments grazing comes with this package. If we love, we will keep the commandments – from love. And so you’ll also reveal yourself to us in love. Help me to take up this package and to open it every time with curiosity of a child who is looking for a surprise.

2. Reading – Listening: The Gospel according to John 14, 15-21

Jesus Promises the Power of the Holy Spirit 

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

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3. Thoughts on the Gospel – Jesus commandments

• The Gospel is the continuation of Jesus’ farewell speech at the Last Supper. The disciples were sad. How not, since they will lose their Teacher, with whom they lived for three years. Jesus wants to console them and give them courage. „And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”
• Jesus himself worked as the advocate and after him will come the Holy Spirit and he will comfort the disciples.

The Holy Spirit is therefore called the Comforter. What tells us this name? Different are the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, etc. When a man is filled with these gifts, in his heart awaken various motives. In a word it is called “spiritual comfort”.

• St. Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises lists some of these phenomena: Consolation, he says, is an inner impulse, in which the soul flares up in the love for their Creator and Lord; also, when a hail of tears for the love of his Lord, either from grief over sins, either because of the suffering of the Christ, our Lord. Finally, Ignatius calls the consolation, every increase of hope, faith and love, and each inner joy that invites and attracts to heavenly things, calms a person and gives him rest in its Creator and Lord.
• Spiritual consolation is the work of the Holy Spirit, strengthens the man, it gives him strength. Also, this will require students when Jesus will separate from them. Comforter will always be with them. It will build the Church, Christians in trials will give strength and in grief they will be comforted.

Jesus continues: Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.

• The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Students will be able to remain in loving relationship with Jesus after keeping his commandments.
• And what are Jesus commandments? It is his desire that we would be good. Already in the Old Testament commandments were given so that people would earn the blessing and life. Jesus wants to give us life, and this life in fullness.
• Each of his word or command is given to us for life; the meeting place with God. When you keep His commandments, you combine your desires with God. So we are always connected with the Risen Lord. He mysteriously lives in our hearts.

The disciples are not left orphaned. Orphan has no one and they are always in communion with God. They have received the Holy Spirit, in whose consolation they never ceased to celebrate the risen Lord. This also applies to us. How many gifts we have received! We should glorify the Lord in our hearts. But we know that there are a lot of people who are sad. As an orphan they are without comfort. We ask God’s consolation to pour on them, also from us.

4. Meditation – thinking

About everything I have read and what has touched me, I am thinking now. I let my thoughts also touch my heart. Think:.

• Father sends us the Comforter, that we are not alone. Where do I especially need the the Power of the Holy Spirit to refresh, revive my relationships?
• How does God show me in my relations already his love?
• Love means giving and receiving love. I let the love of Jesus gently care for me, show me how he loves me. I can release myself in prayer, meditation, in one day, or give myself a full month to explore how Jesus loves me.

5. Personal Prayer

In the next moments of silence, I talk about of this with Jesus. I tell him what I think, what I feel, what I want. I ask him for the grace that I need for … (make your conversation with God)

6. Contemplation – Quiet moment with God

Now I let silence to be in me. I am simply present in God, as He is quietly present in me.

Perhaps from this silence I hear God’s speech, which invites me perhaps in thanksgiving and worship, or to open myself and accept him in my path life and work, maybe He gives me the courage to continue searching for…

See all the other Bible readings and meditations

7. Action

When I walk into a personal relationship with God, he changes me, makes me more loving and encourages me to the concrete action, which is….. (write down your insights for concrete action)

8. Prayer at the end

Jesus, my friend, You love me, but I hold form this love, because I think that I must first give, then I may just get it. The package of love comes and has brought your love. I do not know when I ordered this package – You know that I need it and you send it to me. I need your love that I can give it on. Thank you for regularly sending me the package. And I am ready to open it and out comes another air of love that I can share it on.

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9. Review of my prayer meditation or reflection

This is my view on what was happening in me at the time, I spent praying. In my reflection, I can help myself with the following questions:

• How was I feeling when I started praying?
• What happened during the prayer?
• What feelings and thoughts could I detect in myself?
• How did I feel at the revelations, which I had during my prayer?
• What did I learn about myself, about God, about his attitude towards me and others and me to him and others?
• How did I finish my prayer?
• What did I receive for my everyday life?
• In the end, I can write the lessons, findings and insights. I can write also, where I had problems, they may have great value in learning about my relationship and myself with God. They can also help to find a more appropriate way of prayer for me.
• Then I thank the Holy Trinity. If I pray with my family or in the community, friends, I can share with them what I felt in this prayer. By prayer for one another, you can support yourself throughout the week.

Lectio divina meditations are published and adapted with permission from the Jesuits home  – ignacijevdom.si