THE TEXT BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO COMMENTARY BY FR. FERNANDO ARMELLINI

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Happy Easter to all! 

The Gospel reading proposed by the liturgy today seems out of sync with the Easter season we are celebrating. The scene is set in the Cenacle during the Last Supper, at the moment when Judas departs to deliver Jesus to the high priests. We might have expected a different manifestation of the Risen Lord to the disciples, but instead we are taken back to the Cenacle. Why? Because during the Last Supper, Jesus delivered a lengthy speech that the evangelist John recorded for us in four chapters. This is significant because they are the Teacher’s final words—the most sacred. Therefore, we will approach this text with emotion and trepidation. 

All the great figures of the Old Testament delivered speeches before dying. In those speeches, they remembered their work, offered recommendations, made promises, and blessed others. This is how we remember Moses, Samuel, David, Jacob … who, before passing away, called all his children around his bed and blessed each one. Jesus acts like the great figures of the Old Testament. Knowing he has only a few hours left, he feels the need to deliver his final message, his last will. This will is read during the Passover because wills are opened after the loved one has passed away. 

Let’s now approach this text with emotion and trepidation, because Jesus, before leaving us, wanted to reveal his whole love story and the life he gave for others. 

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him at once.”

We have heard the verb ‘glorify’ five times, and it feels like too much repetition. It also doesn’t seem like the right moment to talk about ‘glory’ and ‘glorification.’ The verb feels out of place because Jesus is in an intense moment of his life—this is not a time for glory. Let’s consider the context in which Jesus presents this moment—he’s living as an opportunity for glory. Judas has left, and it appears he was swallowed by darkness. John the Evangelist notes that when Judas left, ‘it was night.’ Judas has allowed himself to be enveloped by the darkness of the world rather than the light of the Master, which signifies the new world. The proposal Jesus made was unacceptable and dangerous to Judas, because he saw Jesus as someone who threatened the social, political, and religious order. 

Jesus preached a God who was not the same as the one the rabbis preached—a righteous God. And Jesus did not like this God. He preached a servant, not a dominator. This shattered all of Judas’ beliefs. Even Jesus couldn’t change his heart or draw him into the new world. How would we have reacted to the betrayal by someone we loved and had tried to help change—the change that could have saved that person? 

Jesus saw this moment as a failure in his work; he hadn’t succeeded in including Judas in his plans. And not only Judas, but the other disciples also weren’t very convinced or willing to give their lives for the Master. Think about how we would react if faced with that stubborn heart, clinging to beliefs even Jesus couldn’t change. How would we have reacted when Judas, whom we loved, left? He didn’t leave to do his own things but to deliver the Master to death. 

It is likely we would have reacted with anger, cursing the opponent of the new world project, the person who carried evil in his heart. In Jesus, none of these reactions were present. He did not harbor a grudge against Judas’s betrayal—only immense pain at being unable to reach his disciple’s heart. 

This is the pain felt by all who love and want to live happily as they make life-changing choices. The suffering for the person they love is immense. This is what parents endure when they do everything possible to help their son or daughter make good decisions, only to watch them leave at night. Jesus experienced great pain, yet he showed no rancor, irritation, or harsh words toward Judas. 

It is in this context that Jesus gives the disciples his new commandment. We might have expected harsh, resentful words, but from Jesus’s mouth at this moment, the most beautiful words of love come forth. It is his testament, and he can give it because he demonstrates in his life that he practices love perfectly. This message remains highly relevant for us today because if we dedicate ourselves to building a more just, more fraternal world, we will discover what Jesus found. 

Thousands of people, whether out of interest or ignorance, oppose it. We will encounter organizations and structures that promote false models of life to young people and future generations. They introduce moral decay and hedonism that mock the most sacred values, such as faith, family, marital fidelity, and forgiveness. What should we do? We are tempted to curse these individuals and institutions because it feels like modern persecution. 

The Master calls us to respond as He did. These are moments to demonstrate the deepest love: love for those who do evil, for those who oppose our values. We must love them as Jesus loved Judas. Now, the verbs I mentioned earlier come into play: ‘glorify.’ Only a few hours remain before Jesus’ capture and His death sentence. For us, rooted in Greek thought, glorification means celebrating our success. When everyone applauds us, we are glorified. When we become famous, attain prestigious positions, and feel happy… this is what we call our glory. 

Jesus was tempted to seek glory like that of the great ones of this world. The evil one had already suggested it, but doing so would require Jesus to worship him. ‘You will become a glorious person if you follow my advice, accept my suggestions… and therefore, you should have no scruples, crush the weak, if necessary, lie if necessary… and so you will become a great figure, for the great ones of this world achieve these positions by listening to my advice.’… This is the message of the evil one. 

Jesus has not sought this kind of glory because it is not ‘glory’; it is ‘vainglory,’ which, in God’s enduring story, fades away. When the Bible speaks of glory, it does not refer to fame over others. That is ‘vainglory’—fleeting and insubstantial. The true glory in the Bible, which no one can claim for themselves, is what truly matters in the eyes of God. 

The Hebrew word for ‘glory’ is ‘kavod,’ which means ‘weight.’ We all want our presence to carry ‘weight,’ to give our words importance, and to be honest. According to the Bible, glory is a life that is not straw but the seed of grain that weighs, endures, and gives life. That’s why Jesus says: for me, it is the moment of glory. What does ‘the moment of glory’ mean? Glory is the moment when he can reveal the true face of God; he has come into this world to show the true face of God. Now, Jesus has a unique opportunity to reach the peak of this glory, this manifestation of God’s face, which is love and only love. It is the moment when Judas betrays him. 

The Father in heaven did not want the Son to die, yet delivered him into the hands of the people. They could not help but attack him because they are not motivated by the love that comes from God, but by the evil one who suggests the glory of this world. To obtain it, you must be willing to do anything. In this situation, not willed by God but created by people, Jesus is included in the Father’s plan and chooses this moment to demonstrate his love, because the greatest expression of love is shown in the giving of life. 

The Father did not want Jesus to die, but because people committed this crime through their sin, the greatest expression of God’s love has been revealed. This is the ultimate face of God. At this moment, Jesus says: you can abandon me, insult me, hit me, hate me, and even kill me, but you will not make me give up unconditional love, because that is my identity as the perfect image of God. This glorious manifestation overturns the ugly face of God we have created; we seek the face we have made, love it, and reject the God Jesus shows. Jesus has come to deny this face of God—a righteous God who punishes you if you disobey or offend Him. NO! 

This face of God was truly revealed in the glorious moment when Jesus gave His life. The false, devilish image of God is condemned—an image that makes us sick and unhappy when we try to resemble Him. Let us listen to what Jesus leaves us as our inheritance: 

My children, I will be with you only a little longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should also love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

“My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.” Jesus calls his disciples, and also us, “children.” The Greek term is an affectionate diminutive; it is ‘teknía’ – ‘children.’ The disciples are not children of Jesus; they are brothers of Jesus, but at this moment, when Jesus presents his testament, he calls them ‘my children.” The son is the one who must reproduce the father’s face, and at this moment, Jesus asks them: ‘to make me present in the world.’ Present your face as a proposal of a man for all. And it indicates how we can resemble him in order to present everyone His person. He leaves them his testament. 

What does Jesus leave us as an inheritance? It’s not property, because he had none. Jesus said he didn’t even have a stone to rest his head on. He had no home or possessions. We might have expected Jesus to wield a magic wand to perform miracles and fix the world’s problems. But he hasn’t left that ability… or rather, he has left his ability to do wonders—the ability to proclaim his Word. Whoever adheres to his Word and trusts in it experiences a remarkable transformation of their world and their heart. So, what does he leave as an inheritance? “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” 

Jesus gives a commandment. It is not a suggestion or recommendation but a commandment. This word might sound harsh to us because it can seem like an imposition or a punishment for disobedience. No, that’s not it. The commandment isn’t written like the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. Instead, this commandment of love comes from within because Jesus was sent to give humanity a new identity, born of the gift of divine life. This is the life of the Eternal, not something reserved for the future or promised only to the righteous at the end of this life. No! This life of the Eternal is given today to everyone. And this life becomes a ‘commandment,’ a necessity that arises from within—to love as the Father in heaven has loved, by giving His very life. 

It is a ‘new’ commandment. New not because of a different formulation, since we also find something similar in the Old Testament: “love your neighbor as yourself,” says the book of Leviticus, which is the highest point the Old Testament reaches. Additionally, some pagan wise men also recommended this love for their neighbors. 

We remember Seneca, Epictetus, Confucius… all these great figures who came before this new commandment. Why is it new? The new is not opposed to the old. Old things are beautiful; the more time passes, the more valuable they become. What is ‘old,’ not just ‘ancient’; what is ‘old’ can be discarded. What did the book of Leviticus say: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We also find this in the wisdom of the great figures of antiquity. It is not old material… they are ancient things, and the ancient must be preserved because they hold great value, but it is not final. 

When you hear the word ‘new,’ it instantly sparks optimism and hope. Ancient wisdom is valuable; you don’t have to discard it. It’s kept as a treasure, but it’s not the wisdom we seek. We don’t love as we love ourselves. The measure given to us is different. It is the one that comes from the commandment defining our new identity: sons and daughters of God. 

Therefore, this inner commandment guides us to love as Jesus loves. This love is pure, the ultimate beauty, beyond which nothing can go. This commandment cannot grow old because it reflects the life of God. Hundreds or thousands of years may pass, but this commandment will always remain fresh. It will never be surpassed. There will never be a better commandment. It is impossible to go beyond this love. It is unconditional love, even for enemies. You cannot exceed this horizon. There will never be another newness. “Love one another as I have loved you.” 

What kind of love does Jesus show us? It is a love that does not depend on how people respond—whether with love, hatred, exploitation, or oppression. Jesus’ love does not condition us; it is completely free. This is the love Christians and disciples must show the world. It proves the presence of Jesus through his Spirit, demonstrating the divine life he has given. He says: “In that you will all know that you are my disciples, in the love you have for one another.” The one clear mark Jesus left in the community of disciples is not prayers or devotions… NO. It is love. 

It is the vocation to which every Christian is called, and it is unique. We are called to love. Although the specific circumstances in which a person finds themselves and must demonstrate this love vary, the vocation to which the Christian is called remains the same: Love as Jesus has loved. 

I wish everyone a blessed Easter and a good week.