Daily Readings - Thu May 19 2022

⁷After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.⁸God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.⁹He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.¹⁰Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?¹¹No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."¹²The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.¹³When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.¹⁴Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.¹⁵The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:¹⁶"'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,¹⁷that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'¹⁸that have been known for ages.¹⁹"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.²⁰Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.²¹For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

John

Chapter 15

⁹"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

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.