Most Rev. Francis Obafemi Adesina

“I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”Jn 13:34-35

Theme: “Love That Perseveres, Leadership That Sacrifices- qualities of a true Disciple of Jesus”

Happy 5th Sunday of Easter to you all my Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

You would recall that on Easter Monday  (21st April), God called Pope Francis to eternal home. On Saturday, 26th April Pope Francis was buried in the Basilica of St. Mary. On Friday  9th of May, Pope Leo XIV was elected by Cardinals as the VICAR OF CHRIST, BISHOP OF ROME, Leader of the Catholic Church.

Today, the 18th of May 2025 in Rome is the official inauguration of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV –

+ He receives “the fisherman ring” that only Pope can wear.

+ Pallium – symbol of his authority of governance over the Church of Rome and the universal church.

We celebrate today’s Holy Mass in union with Pope LEO XIV, praying for him for the grace to love Christ and the church to the end.

That the Lord may grant him the grace of holiness, humility, wisdom and courage to lead the church and world aright

That God may keep him safe and protect him from the hands of the enemies of the Gospel, of the Church, and of Peace!

My dear brothers and Sisters in Christ, indeed today we find ourselves at the JUNCTION / INTERSECTION of EASTER JOY and The beginning of the Mission of POPE LEO (New Pontificate) Sign of HOPE and RENEWAL in the church.

Easter Joy and the Pontificate of Pope Leo xiv become meaningful only when it draws strength from the NEW COMMANDMENT OF JESUS -John 13:34-35:

“love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’”

I. A Love That Glorifies God (John 13:31–35)

The Gospel passage takes us to the Upper Room, just after Judas has left into the night. In that moment of betrayal, Jesus speaks of glory. He is not speaking of triumphal glory, but the glory that comes through the cross. Jesus is talking about the love that lays down one’s life for others.

Jesus command is simple. His command is revolutionary – it transforms : “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

This love is not sentimental. It is not just a feeling for something or someone. It is not transactional love. The love of Jesus is life-giving; It is a decision; it is a vocation. It is love that washes feet of others. Love that bears wounds. Love that carries the cross without complain; love that forgives enemies without grudges. This is the type of Love Jesus  Christ calls every Christian to embody; it is the love everyone of us, including Pope Leo xiv and myself is expected to imitate.

As Pope Leo XIV begins his ministry in the Church and World today, the heart of his mission is – to love the Church as Christ loves her—completely, sacrificially, and without counting the cost.

 + I want you to know that today, POPE LEO XIV as VICAR OF CHRIST does not step onto a throne of worldly power, but into the Shoes of the Fisherman, the Sandals of Peter—shoes that must become thin by walking the hard path of Gospel fidelity.

II. A Church That Walks Together (Acts 21:1–5)

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents a Church on the move / journey towards Jerusalem : Paul, on his way to Jerusalem, stops to visit fellow disciples in different places. At every stop, the disciples/ Christians know danger awaiting Paul in his journey towards Jerusalem.  The Spirit has warned them.

But notice what they do: They did not advise Paul not to proceed in the journey- they did not discourage or distract him. Rather, they knelt down and prayed with him, including the children. And then, despite the sorrow, they let Paul go, entrusting him to the will of God.

Here we see the early Church living the command of love -not by clinging to comfort or safety, but by standing together in prayerful trust. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I want you to know from today onwards that: The unity of the Church/ Diocese / Cathedral parish does not come from agreement on every detail, or the absence of hardship or danger. Rather, the unity of the church comes from shared faith in Christ, from kneeling together in prayer, and from listening to the Holy Spirit.

As Pope Leo XIV takes up the ministry of Peter in a time when the Church, too, is on a journey filled with challenges—cultural pressures, moral confusion, and the deep thirst of humanity for truth and meaning. Like Paul, he will need courage. Like those disciples, we must surround him with our prayers. Let us be the Church that kneels with him, that walks in communion, that bears witness together to the love Christ commands.

Conclusion: “By This All Will Know”

Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

*Give me love in my heart keep me loving 2x. Keeping loving till the end of day.

May this be true of us. Amen! May we love each other as Christ loves us, Amen! May the Catholic Church under our new Holy Father be united in Love, Amen!  And may the world, seeing a Church alive with this love, come to know the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Amen!

Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV:

That he may be a shepherd after the Heart of Christ.

That his leadership may reflect the love that glorifies God.

And that we may be faithful branches of the vine, united in charity, firm in truth, and joyful in hope.

+Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for him.

+Saint Peter, pray for him.

+Saint Paul, companion in hardship, pray for him and for us all. Amen.