For some strange reason, I get asked this question a lot: ‘What do you want written on your gravestone?’ I’m leaning towards something simple: ‘Loved God. Loved the Catholic Church. Loved his family.’ It’s love like this that Jesus is talking about in our Gospel.

But what does that kind of love look like in real life?

Think about your family—the ones who’ve seen you at your best and your worst. For me, it’s my mum and dad. They’ve seen the good: the joyful, kind, helpful me. But they’ve also seen the tired, grumpy, angry, obnoxious me. And yet—they still choose to love me. They still sit with me, support me, and stand by me. That kind of love—the one that stays through everything—is the mark of true love.

That’s what Jesus offers us. ‘I no longer call you slaves… I have called you friends.’ These words aren’t just comforting phrases from Scripture—they’re the heart of our entire faith.

The early Christians understood this clearly. We rejected Jesus. We betrayed, denied, and crucified Him. And how did He respond? With love. With forgiveness. With friendship.

Jesus has seen humanity—and each one of us—at our very worst, and He still chooses us. He still calls us friends. That kind of love doesn’t back away when things get hard; it leans in.

So, the question today is: do we love like that? Are we willing to see others fully and still choose love? That’s what friendship with Christ invites us into—a love that is deep, honest, and unconditional.

By Fr Isaac Falzon