Daily Readings - Thu May 02 2024

⁷And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.⁸And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,⁹and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.¹⁰Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?¹¹But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."¹²And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.¹³After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.¹⁴Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,¹⁶"'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,¹⁷that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things¹⁸known from of old.'¹⁹Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,²⁰but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.²¹For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

John

Chapter 15

⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

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.