Daily Readings - Thu May 11 2023

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 first reading from Acts 15:7-21 recounts the Council of Jerusalem, where the early Church addressed whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law. Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James each spoke, emphasizing that salvation comes through faith in Jesus, not adherence to the Law of Moses. They agreed that Gentiles should only avoid idolatry, fornication, and blood, reflecting the Church's inclusivity and focus on grace. The Gospel, John 15:9-11, features Jesus commanding His followers to love one another as He loved them. He ties keeping His commandments to abiding in His love, which brings joy. This passage is part of Jesus' farewell discourse, highlighting the importance of love and unity among believers. Both readings emphasize unity and love. Acts shows the Church uniting Jews and Gentiles through faith, while John underscores the love binding all believers. Together, they remind us to embrace diversity and focus on essential teachings. In modern life, this means avoiding divisions and embracing love as the foundation of our actions and relationships, leading to true joy.