Daily Readings - Sun May 09 2021

²⁵And it happened that, when Peter had entered, Cornelius went to meet him. And falling before his feet, he reverenced²⁶Yet truly, Peter, lifting him up, said: "Rise up, for I also am only a man.³⁴Then, Peter, opening his mouth, said: "I have concluded in truth that God is not a respecter of persons³⁵But within every nation, whoever fears him and works justice is acceptable to him⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell over all of those who were listening to the Word⁴⁵And the faithful of the circumcision, who had arrived with Peter, were astonished that the grace of the Holy Spirit was also poured out upon the Gentiles⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God⁴⁷Then Peter responded, "How could anyone prohibit water, so that those who have received the Holy Spirit would not be baptized, just as we also have been?⁴⁸And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for some days

1 John

Chapter 4

⁷Most beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God⁸Whoever does not love, does not know God. For God is love⁹The love of God was made apparent to us in this way: that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him¹⁰In this is love: not as if we had loved God, but that he first loved us, and so he sent his Son as a propitiation for our sins

John

Chapter 15

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love¹⁰If you keep my precepts, you shall abide in my love, just as I also have kept my Father’s precepts and I abide in his love¹¹These things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be fulfilled¹²This is my precept: that you love one another, just as I have loved you¹³No one has a greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends¹⁴You are my friends, if you do what I instruct you¹⁵I will no longer call you servants, for the servant does not know what his Lord is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything whatsoever that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you¹⁶You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I have appointed you, so that you may go forth and bear fruit, and so that your fruit may last. Then whatever you have asked of the Father in my name, he shall give to you¹⁷This I command you: that you love one another

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the boundless love of God and the call to live as instruments of that love in the world. In the first reading from Acts, Peter encounters Cornelius, a Gentile, and comes to a profound realization: God does not show favoritism. The Holy Spirit descends upon the Gentiles just as it had upon the Jews, proving that God’s mercy and salvation are for all people. This moment marks a pivotal shift in the early Church, as it begins to understand its mission to the entire world. Peter’s courage to step beyond cultural and religious barriers models for us the kind of openness and inclusivity that faith demands. The second reading from 1 John deepens this theme by emphasizing that love is not just a human emotion but the very essence of God’s nature. John writes, “God is love,” and this love is not something we initiate but something God first extends to us. The ultimate expression of this love is the gift of his Son, Jesus, who bore the weight of our sins out of pure, selfless love. This reading invites us to reflect on the source of all love and to recognize that our ability to love comes from God alone. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this a step further by commanding us to love one another as he has loved us. He calls us his friends, not servants, because he has shared with us the intimate knowledge of his Father’s will. This friendship is not passive; it requires us to bear fruit that lasts. Jesus’ love for us is unconditional and sacrificial, and he calls us to imitate that love in our relationships. The greatest love, he says, is to lay down one’s life for others—a love that goes beyond mere affection to a deep commitment to the well-being of others. These readings together challenge us to live as people transformed by God’s love. They call us to move beyond our comfort zones, just as Peter did, and to embrace the diversity of the world around us. They remind us that love is not something we invent but something we receive from God and are called to share generously. In our daily lives, this means seeking opportunities to serve, to forgive, and to include those who might feel excluded. It means living with the same kind of humility and openness that Jesus modeled for us. Let us ask ourselves: Am I allowing God’s love to flow through me? Am I willing to love as radically and unconditionally as he loves me? May we abide in his love and bear fruit that reflects the heart of God.