Daily Readings - Thu May 02 2024

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

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.