I give you a new commandment: love one another

Last weekend we attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of dear friends. When asked to say a few words, I recounted their years of service to the faith community. Not only was their love for each other apparent to all, they also shared that love in ministry to married couples, engaged couples and youth discerning their vocation.

Recently, the wife has been diagnosed with a debilitating illness and this has triggered an even more tender outpouring of kindness and care from her husband. As I looked on in admiration at their glances of affection for each other, I thought of the words of this week’s Gospel John 13; 31-35 ‘I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another.’

Their love for each other, over the years, has surely been an obedience to Jesus’ commandment. In a world filled with headlines of celebrity divorces and fleeting commitments, their enduring bond stands as a quiet, powerful witness to the kind of love Jesus speaks of—selfless, faithful, and sacrificial.

It is not a love that seeks attention or reward, but one that continues to give, especially in moments of weakness and suffering. Watching them, I saw not just a couple celebrating longevity, but two disciples living out the Gospel in real time. Their marriage has become a living homily—teaching all of us that true love, rooted in Christ, endures, heals, and glorifies God.

When it came time for the husband to respond to the various speakers, he offered a simple yet profound piece of advice: ‘A successful marriage takes three persons—husband, wife, and Jesus.’ He went on to share how, through every season of their life together—joys, challenges, raising children, and now facing illness—it was their shared prayer life that anchored them.

As I left the celebration, I reflected on how love, when rooted in faith, becomes a source of light not just for the lovers, but for the wider community. In a world where so much seems uncertain and temporary, their marriage reminded me of the enduring power of Christ’s love for us.

And it is not just in marriage, all of us, whether married or single, can experience this joyful love in our lives. It calls for a deep interior life of prayer, availing ourselves to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that gives us the courage and endurance to love deeply, as Christ loves us.