Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, showing His deep love for us. But the question is, do we love Him in return? This reflection explores how to grow closer to Jesus, strengthen your relationship with Him, and keep your faith alive through the Eucharist and daily life.
This week we hear the story of the death of Lazarus. When Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ tomb, He weeps. The Jews see this and say, “See how He loved him.” In that moment, Jesus reveals His humanity. He shows His love not only for Lazarus, but for each of us.
We can look to Jesus’ life and death to understand the depth of His love. Throughout His life, He preaches love, and in the end, He gives His life to save us. Scripture makes this truth unmistakably clear. In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” And in Romans 8:38–39, we are reminded that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know that Jesus loves us, but do we love Him? If we do, how do we show it? Where does He fall on our list of priorities? Do we place people, pleasures, or possessions ahead of Him? In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warns, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’” We must build a relationship with Jesus if we desire to be with Him forever.
People do not end up in Hell because Jesus fails to love them. They end up there because they choose other things and never develop a meaningful relationship with Him. Today, while I sat before the Blessed Sacrament, I thought about those glow-in-the-dark stars people place on their ceilings. When you shine a flashlight on one, it glows brightly at first, but then it slowly fades. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist or spend time with Him in adoration, His presence fills us with light and we shine brightly. When we go out into the world and return to every day life, that light begins to fade. This is why we need to return to Him often.
We should not only desire to receive the light of Jesus’ love, but also to return that love to Him. Our love is imperfect, but we must keep growing in it. Just as love deepens in a strong marriage over time, our love for Jesus should grow as we grow. If we continue to invest in our relationship with Him, we will draw closer to Him, and when we die, we will receive the deepest desire of our souls.
