Daily Readings - Thu May 19 2022

⁷And after a great contention had taken place, Peter rose up and said to them: "Noble brothers, you know that, in recent days, God has chosen from among us, by my mouth, Gentiles to hear the word of the Gospel and to believe⁸And God, who knows hearts, offered testimony, by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as to us⁹And he distinguished nothing between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith¹⁰Now therefore, why do you tempt God to impose a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear¹¹But by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in order to be saved, in the same manner also as them.¹²Then the entire multitude was silent. And they were listening to Barnabas and Paul, describing what great signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them¹³And after they had been silent, James responded by saying: "Noble brothers, listen to me¹⁴Simon has explained in what manner God first visited, so as to take from the Gentiles a people to his name¹⁵And the words of the Prophets are in agreement with this, just as it was written¹⁶‘After these things, I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down. And I will rebuild its ruins, and I will raise it up¹⁷so that the rest of men may seek the Lord, along with all the nations over whom my name has been invoked, says the Lord, who does these things.¹⁸To the Lord, his own work has been known from eternity¹⁹Because of this, I judge that those who were converted to God from among the Gentiles are not to be disturbed²⁰but instead that we write to them, that they should keep themselves from the defilement of idols, and from fornication, and from whatever has been suffocated, and from blood²¹For Moses, from ancient times, has had in each city those who preach him in the synagogues, where he is read on every Sabbath.

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 fulfilled

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the heart of God’s love and the unity that comes from faith. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Church grappling with a pivotal question: whether Gentiles must follow Jewish law to be part of the Christian community. Peter’s bold declaration that God has purified the hearts of Gentiles by faith, and James’ wise conclusion that they should not be burdened by unnecessary rules, reveal God’s desire to include all people in His plan of salvation. This moment in Acts shows us that the Gospel is universal, and that faith in Jesus Christ is what truly unites us. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the love He shares with the Father and how He has passed that love on to us. He tells us to remain in His love by keeping His commandments, just as He keeps the Father’s. This is not about following rules out of obligation, but about living in the joy and freedom that come from being rooted in God’s love. Jesus’ words remind us that love is the foundation of our relationship with Him and with one another. These readings invite us to reflect on how we live out God’s love in our daily lives. Just as the early Church learned to embrace Gentiles without imposing unnecessary burdens, we too are called to welcome others with open hearts, trusting in God’s grace. Let us ask ourselves: Are we sharing the love of Christ in a way that unites people, or are we creating divisions? May we abide in God’s love, as Jesus taught, and may that love overflow into the world around us, bringing joy and unity to all we meet.