Daily Readings - Sun May 02 2021

²⁶When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.²⁸So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.²⁹He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.³⁰When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.³¹Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

1 John

Chapter 3

¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.¹⁹This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.²¹Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God²²and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.²³And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.²⁴Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

John

Chapter 15

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.⁵"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.⁸This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of community, love, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community struggling to trust Paul, the former persecutor, until Barnabas steps in to vouch for him. This moment reminds us that building trust and unity in the Church requires courage and the willingness to see the good in others. The second reading from 1 John emphasizes that love is not just a feeling but a commitment to actions that reflect God’s truth. John reminds us that our confidence before God comes from keeping his commandments and loving one another as he has loved us. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to teach us about our dependence on him. He is the source of life and fruitfulness, and without him, we can do nothing. These readings are deeply connected. The early Church in Acts was able to grow and flourish because its members walked in the fear of the Lord and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This growth was rooted in their faithfulness to God’s commandments and their love for one another, as 1 John describes. The Gospel takes this a step further by showing us that this love and faithfulness are only possible when we abide in Christ. Just as branches draw life from the vine, we draw spiritual life from Jesus. When we remain connected to him, we bear fruit that glorifies the Father. In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine how we are living as part of God’s family. Are we like Barnabas, willing to extend trust and support to others? Are we loving not just in words but in deeds? Are we staying connected to Christ through prayer, the sacraments, and living according to his teachings? The moral lesson is clear: our faith is not a solitary journey but a communal one, and our fruitfulness comes from abiding in Christ and keeping his commandments. Let us ask for the grace to remain deeply rooted in him, so that we may bear fruit that lasts and bring glory to God.