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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. (John 15:12-13 NRSV)
Happy Thursday, dear Friend! May the joy of the Lord be your strength now and always! Whatever you may be facing it can be overcome by God's power. Live with that confidence and assurrance.
At 36 years of age, she received what she called a "call within a call," from God for her to leave the comfort of her convent and to minister to "the poorest of the poor." Since the age of 18, Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu had been in ministry as a nun and member of the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. She moved to India and there had the calling to minister to the poor In Calcutta in 1950 she formed the Missionaries of Charity, an order devoted to serving the destitute and dying, with 12 members and grew to include thousands of sister from across the world. Their mission was to care for those "unwanted, unloved, and uncared for." With this ministry the world came to know this sister as Mother Theresa, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 1979 that included caring for the sick, bathing wounds, and embracing those considered untouchable by society. Her motivation can be summed up with a quote, “I am like the donkey on which Jesus rode. It was not the donkey that made the triumphal entry, but Jesus. I only go where He leads.” God’s love radiated from that small woman of faith to show love to the unloved and to care for those who were uncared for, and to hug tightly those who had not known hugs for many years.
As we come to the close of Lent and enter Holy Week, this passage calls us to reflect deeply on the humility and obedience of Christ. The One who had every right to remain in the glory of heaven chose instead to enter our world, to serve, to suffer, and to die—for us.
Jesus didn’t cling to power. He didn’t demand status. Instead, He "made Himself nothing"—a phrase that captures the heart of Lent. Jesus laid down His rights, took on human flesh, and walked the road of obedience all the way to the cross.
This is the way of Christ: humility, self-emptying, and total surrender to the will of the Father. And Paul’s charge is clear: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” We’re not just to admire Jesus’ humility—we’re to imitate it.
In a culture that prizes self-promotion and independence, the call to humble obedience may feel radical. Yet this is the way of transformation. This is the path to true life.
And here is the promise: Christ’s obedience led to exaltation. The cross gave way to the crown. The name of Jesus is now lifted above every name—and we, too, are lifted up when we follow Him in love and humility.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself for our sake. You chose the path of service, suffering, and surrender so that we might know grace. Forgive us for the ways we cling to pride or resist obedience. Give us Your mindset. Teach us to walk in humility, to serve others, and to follow wherever You lead. Let this Holy Week be a time when we draw closer to You in heart, mind, and action. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time today to practice humble obedience. Whether through an act of service, a word of encouragement, or surrendering your will in prayer, choose the way of Christ. Let His humility shape how you love others and live this week.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
