COPYRIGHT, FR. MARTIN TIERNEY, SUNDAY THOUGHTS.COM. "The Gospel of today opens with the conjunction 'if'. It's a big if. Jesus says 'if you love me ... I will ask the Father' . In this passage Jesus seems to make the gift of the Spirit conditional upon the disciples' love of Jesus and keeping the commandments. This is covenant language reminiscent of the great 'if' of the book of Exodus. 'If you hearken to my voice, and keep my covenant, you will be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people'.
God cannot force himself into our lives. He has given us the gift of free will. He has to be, warts and all, invited into our lives. The gift of the Spirit cannot be given, because it cannot be received in one who does not love Jesus and try to live according to his word. In other words, there is no such a thing as 'cheap grace'. There is a price to be paid in this life. There are demands placed on us in our friendship with Jesus.
In working with married couples we say that love is a decision, not a feeling. When love is a decision there is a price to be paid! We decide to love despite our feelings. We don't base the most important relationship in our lives on how we feel today. It is in overcoming one's feelings of apathy, disinterestedness, that one grows in love. True love is a demanding path. Love is its own reward, for it is in paying the price that"
