# Fifth Sunday of Easter: Living the Love of 1 John 3:18‑24
*2015-05-02*

> Bill Young reflects on the Fifth Sunday of Easter reading from 1 John 3:18‑24, exploring how true love is lived out in action, the Trinity, and the flow of divine love through the Holy Spirit.

## Scripture Reading

1 John 3:18‑24: “Little children, let us not love in word or speech only, but in deed and truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and we shall assure our hearts before Him. Whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts; He knows everything. If our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey His commandments and do what pleases Him. The commandment we have from Him is this: that we believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He has commanded us. Those who keep His commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them by the Spirit He has given us.”

## Living Love in Action

Bill explains that the passage calls us to love not merely with words but with concrete deeds. When we act out love, we demonstrate that we belong to the truth and our hearts are aligned with God’s greater love. This boldness before God allows us to ask Him for what we need, trusting that He will provide as we keep His commandments.

## The Mystery of the Trinity

The author of 1 John leads us to a deeper understanding of the Trinitarian mystery. The love that originates in the Father flows to the Son and is poured out to believers through the Holy Spirit. This “circle of love” moves from God to us and back to God, mirroring the way our prayers rise from private moments, pass through the Church, and return to the heart of God.

## Our Participation in Divine Life

Through the Holy Spirit, we share in the divine life of Christ. This participation makes us fully human, united with Christ, and calls us to respect the sanctity of human life and all creation. Bill concludes with a prayer for God’s blessing on everyone.

*True love is lived out in concrete actions, drawing us into the perpetual flow of divine love within the Trinity.*