Teach Us To Love

Lord, we thank Thee for all the love
that has been given to us, for the love
of family and friends, and above all
for Your love poured out upon us every
moment of our lives in steadfast glory.

Forgive our unworthiness. Forgive the
many times we have disappointed those
who love us, have failed them, wearied
them, saddened them.
Failing them we have failed You,
and hurting them we have wounded our Saviour who for love's sake died for us.
Lord, have mercy on us, and forgive.

You do not fail those who love you.
You do not change nor vary.
Teach us Your own constancy in love.
Your humility, selflessness and generosity.

Look in pity on our small and tarnished loving, protect, foster and strengthen it, that it may be less unworthy to be offered to
You and to Your children.
O Light of the world, teach us how to love.
Amen.

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John 15 : 1-17

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.