Daily Readings - Thu May 02 2024

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

In today's readings, we encounter profound lessons about unity, love, and the essence of our faith. The first reading from Acts 15:7-21 recounts the Council of Jerusalem, where the early Church grappled with whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law. Peter and the apostles concluded that faith in Jesus Christ was sufficient for salvation, emphasizing that God's grace, not external observances, unites us. The second reading from John 15:9-11 shifts our focus to the heart of Jesus' message: love. He tells us to abide in His love by keeping His commandments, promising that this obedience will fill us with joy. These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize unity—first, the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the early Church, and second, the unity we share with God through love. The Council of Jerusalem shows us that true faith transcends cultural or ritualistic boundaries, while John's Gospel reminds us that love and obedience are the foundation of our relationship with God. Together, they teach us that our faith is not about external rules but about living in harmony with God and one another. Applying this to our daily lives, we are called to embrace diversity and avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on others, just as the early Church did. We are also reminded that staying in God's love requires us to follow His commandments. This is not about restriction but about living in the freedom and joy that come from a life rooted in love. Let us strive to be instruments of unity and love, just as the apostles were, and let us find our joy in abiding in God's love.