Daily Readings - Sun May 02 2021

²⁶And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple²⁷But Barnabas took him aside and led him to the Apostles. And he explained to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how, in Damascus, he had acted faithfully in the name of Jesus²⁸And he was with them, entering and departing Jerusalem, and acting faithfully in the name of the Lord²⁹He also was speaking with the Gentiles and disputing with the Greeks. But they were seeking to kill him³⁰And when the brothers had realized this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus³¹Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit

1 John

Chapter 3

¹⁸My little sons, let us not love in words only, but in works and in truth¹⁹In this way, we will know that we are of the truth, and we will commend our hearts in his sight²⁰For even if our heart reproaches us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things²¹Most beloved, if our heart does not reproach us, we can have confidence toward God²²and whatever we shall request of him, we shall receive from him. For we keep his commandments, and we do the things that are pleasing in his sight²³And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us²⁴And those who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And we know that he abides in us by this: by the Spirit, whom he has given to us

John

Chapter 15

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away. And each one that does bear fruit, he will cleanse, so that it may bring forth more fruit³You are clean now, because of the word that I have spoken to you⁴Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so also are you unable, unless you abide in me⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you are able to do nothing⁶If anyone does not abide in me, he will be cast away, like a branch, and he will wither, and they will gather him and cast him into the fire, and he burns⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, then you may ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done for you⁸In this, my Father is glorified: that you should bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of community, love, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community struggling to trust Paul, the former persecutor, until Barnabas steps in to vouch for him. This moment reminds us that building trust and unity in the Church requires courage and the willingness to see the good in others. The second reading from 1 John emphasizes that love is not just a feeling but a commitment to actions that reflect God’s truth. John reminds us that our confidence before God comes from keeping his commandments and loving one another as he has loved us. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to teach us about our dependence on him. He is the source of life and fruitfulness, and without him, we can do nothing. These readings are deeply connected. The early Church in Acts was able to grow and flourish because its members walked in the fear of the Lord and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This growth was rooted in their faithfulness to God’s commandments and their love for one another, as 1 John describes. The Gospel takes this a step further by showing us that this love and faithfulness are only possible when we abide in Christ. Just as branches draw life from the vine, we draw spiritual life from Jesus. When we remain connected to him, we bear fruit that glorifies the Father. In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine how we are living as part of God’s family. Are we like Barnabas, willing to extend trust and support to others? Are we loving not just in words but in deeds? Are we staying connected to Christ through prayer, the sacraments, and living according to his teachings? The moral lesson is clear: our faith is not a solitary journey but a communal one, and our fruitfulness comes from abiding in Christ and keeping his commandments. Let us ask for the grace to remain deeply rooted in him, so that we may bear fruit that lasts and bring glory to God.