Reading 1
Acts 15:7-21
After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
After they had fallen silent, James responded,
“My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:
After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
known from of old.
It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”
96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10
Responsorial Psalm R. (3)
Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 15:9-11
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”
Meditation: John 15:9-11
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)
When a child is very young, his parents set firm, simple rules. A two-year-old doesn’t need a long lecture about why the stove is hot. He just needs to be told not to touch it. Only as he matures does he come to understand that his parents set boundaries because they love him. And that understanding helps draw him closer to them, making him want to take on their values and goals.
In a similar way, Jesus says that our obedience to him will help us abide in him and even fill us with great joy. As the sin that blocks our relationship with God is removed, we become more free to gaze on him and experience his love in greater depth. Keeping the commandments is not meant to be a matter of just gritting our teeth. It’s a tool for deepening our fellowship with Christ and being drawn more deeply into his life. The process is a bit like a spiral: Obedience draws us into a deeper relationship with Christ, which makes us want to turn away from things that block the relationship.
The apostles were beginning to understand this when they dealt with the question of Gentile converts (Acts 15:7-21). They didn’t want to burden these new believers with a yoke that they themselves couldn’t bear. Rather, the apostles wanted them to get to the heart of Jesus’ commandments—love of God and neighbor—and then learn from there what Jesus was calling them to do.
Think about how Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta stayed focused on Jesus. Did she obey the commandments? Beautifully! But not because she felt a burdensome mandate. She just didn’t want anything to keep her from Jesus! Think, too, of Blessed Pope John Paul II. He didn’t urge us to “put out into deep water” and evangelize just because Jesus ordered us to. He did it because he wanted to see more and more people come to love Jesus and serve him with their lives.
So don’t look at the commandments as a burden. Rather, see in them a powerful way to remain in Jesus’ love!
“Lord, I don’t want to do anything to separate myself from you! May my obedience be inspired by love, and may my relationship with you bring me greater and greater joy!”
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