Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 289
Lectionary: 289
The Apostles and
presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
Responsorial PsalmPS 57:8-9, 10 AND 12
R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O
Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 15:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 15:12-17
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
Meditation: "I have called you
friends"
What is the greatest act of love which one can
give for the sake of another? Jesus defines friendship - the mutual bond of
trust and affection which people choose to have for one another - as the
willingness to give totally of oneself - even to the point of laying down one's
life for a friend. How is such love possible or even desirable? God made us in
love for love. That is our reason for being, our purpose for living, and our
goal in dying.
God is love
Scripture tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8) - and everything he does flows from his immense love for us. He loved us so much - far beyond what we could ever expect or deserve - that he was willing to pay any price to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death. That is why the Father sent us his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. In this great exchange - the Father giving up his Son to death on the cross in order to give us abundant everlasting life and adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ (Romans 8:14-17).
Scripture tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8) - and everything he does flows from his immense love for us. He loved us so much - far beyond what we could ever expect or deserve - that he was willing to pay any price to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death. That is why the Father sent us his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. In this great exchange - the Father giving up his Son to death on the cross in order to give us abundant everlasting life and adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ (Romans 8:14-17).
It is for this reason that we can take hold of a
hope that does not fade and a joy that does not diminish because God
has poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given
to us(Romans 5:5). God's love is not limited or subject to changing
circumstances. It is an enduring love that has power to change and transform us
to be like him - merciful, gracious, kind, forgiving, and steadfast in showing
love not only for our friends, but for our enemies as well. God's love is
boundless because he is the source of abundant life, perfect peace, and
immeasurable joy for all who open their hearts to him. That is why Jesus came
to give us abundant life through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment - a new
way of loving and serving one another. Jesus' love was wholly directed toward
the good of others. He love them for their sake and for their welfare. That is
why he willingly layed down his own life for us to free us from sin, death,
fear, and everything that could separate us from the love of God. Our love for
God and our willingness to lay down our life for others is a response to the
exceeding love God has given us in Christ. Paul the Apostle states,
"Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height,
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35,38-39).
Friendship with God
Jesus calls his disciples his friends. Jesus not only showed his disciples that he personally cared for them and sought their welfare. He personally enjoyed their company and wanted to be with them. He ate with them, shared everything he had with them - even his inmost heart and thoughts. And he spent himself doing good for them. To know Jesus prsonally is to know God and the love and friendship he offers to each one of us.
Jesus calls his disciples his friends. Jesus not only showed his disciples that he personally cared for them and sought their welfare. He personally enjoyed their company and wanted to be with them. He ate with them, shared everything he had with them - even his inmost heart and thoughts. And he spent himself doing good for them. To know Jesus prsonally is to know God and the love and friendship he offers to each one of us.
One of the special marks of favor shown in the
Scriptures is to be called the friend of God. Abraham is called the friend
of God (Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23). God spoke with Moses as a man speaks
with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Jesus, the Lord and Master, calls the disciples
his friends rather than his servants.
What does it mean to be a friend of God?
Friendship with God certainly entails a loving relationship which goes beyond
mere duty and obedience. Jesus' discourse on friendship and brotherly love
echoes the words of Proverbs: A friend loves at all times; and a
brother is born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17). The distinctive
feature of Jesus' relationship with his disciples was his personal love for
them. He loved his own to the end (John 13:1). His love was
unconditional and wholly directed to the good of others. His love was also
sacrificial. He gave the best he had and all that he had. He gave his very life
for those he loved in order to secure for them everlasting life with the
Father.
Love to the death
The Lord Jesus gives his followers a new commandment - a new way of love that goes beyond giving only what is required or what we think others might deserve. What is the essence of Jesus' new commandment of love? It is a love to the death - a purifying love that overcomes selfishness, fear, and pride. It is a total giving of oneself for the sake of others - a selfless and self-giving love that is oriented towards putting the welfare of others ahead of myself.
The Lord Jesus gives his followers a new commandment - a new way of love that goes beyond giving only what is required or what we think others might deserve. What is the essence of Jesus' new commandment of love? It is a love to the death - a purifying love that overcomes selfishness, fear, and pride. It is a total giving of oneself for the sake of others - a selfless and self-giving love that is oriented towards putting the welfare of others ahead of myself.
Jesus says that there is no greater proof in love
than the sacrifice of one's life for the sake of another. Jesus proved his love
by giving his life for us on the cross of Calvary. Through the shedding of his
blood for our sake, our sins are not only washed clean, but new life is poured
out for us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We prove our love for God and
for one another when we embrace the way of the cross. What is the cross in my
life? When my will crosses with God's will, then God's will must be done. Do
you know the peace and joy of a life fully surrendered to God and consumed with
his love?
The Lord Jesus tells us that he is our friend and
he loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. He wants us to love one
another just as he loves us, whole-heartedly and without reserve. His love
fills our hearts and transforms our minds and frees us to give ourselves in
loving service to others. If we open our hearts to his love and obey his
command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit
that will last for eternity. Do you wish to be fruitful and to abound in the
love of God?
"Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you
deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the
wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any
reward, save that of knowing that we do your will; through Jesus Christ our
Lord." (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola)
FRIDAY, MAY 8, JOHN 15:12-17
Easter Weekday
(Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57)
KEY VERSE: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (v 14).
TO READ: As Jesus anticipated his return to the Father, he prepared his disciples for the work that he would hand over to them. Jesus told his followers that to be God's servant (Greek, doulos, literally a slave) was not a title of shame. The great leaders of the past: Moses (Deut 34:5); Joshua (Josh 24:29); David (Ps 89:20); and later Paul (Ti 1:1) and James (Jas 1:1) all counted it an honor to be God’s servants. But he had something even greater in store for them. He called them "friends" (Jn 14:15b). In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses were each called a "friend of God" (2 Chr 20:7; Ex 33:11). The mark of friendship is an intimate knowledge of one another. Slaves did not have this kind of relationship with their masters. Jesus called his disciples "friends" because he shared with them everything he received from the Father. Jesus’ followers must imitate his example by being servants of one another (Jn 12:26; 13:14-16). Their labors would be fruitful if they obeyed his command to love, which was not a burden, but a loving response to God who loved them.
TO REFLECT: In what ways am I a servant to my community?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, help me to willingly obey your command to love in all I say and do.
Easter Weekday
(Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57)
KEY VERSE: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (v 14).
TO READ: As Jesus anticipated his return to the Father, he prepared his disciples for the work that he would hand over to them. Jesus told his followers that to be God's servant (Greek, doulos, literally a slave) was not a title of shame. The great leaders of the past: Moses (Deut 34:5); Joshua (Josh 24:29); David (Ps 89:20); and later Paul (Ti 1:1) and James (Jas 1:1) all counted it an honor to be God’s servants. But he had something even greater in store for them. He called them "friends" (Jn 14:15b). In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses were each called a "friend of God" (2 Chr 20:7; Ex 33:11). The mark of friendship is an intimate knowledge of one another. Slaves did not have this kind of relationship with their masters. Jesus called his disciples "friends" because he shared with them everything he received from the Father. Jesus’ followers must imitate his example by being servants of one another (Jn 12:26; 13:14-16). Their labors would be fruitful if they obeyed his command to love, which was not a burden, but a loving response to God who loved them.
TO REFLECT: In what ways am I a servant to my community?
TO RESPOND: Risen Lord, help me to willingly obey your command to love in all I say and do.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 15,12-17
Lectio:
Friday, May 8, 2015
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God, loving Father,
you have given us your Son Jesus Christ
as the true vine of life
and our source of strength.
Help us to live his life
as living branches attached to the vine,
and to bear plenty of fruit
of justice, goodness and love.
Let our union with him become visible
in our openness to one another
and in our unity as brothers and sisters,
that he may be visibly present among us
now and for ever.
you have given us your Son Jesus Christ
as the true vine of life
and our source of strength.
Help us to live his life
as living branches attached to the vine,
and to bear plenty of fruit
of justice, goodness and love.
Let our union with him become visible
in our openness to one another
and in our unity as brothers and sisters,
that he may be visibly present among us
now and for ever.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 15,12-17
Jesus said to his disciples: This is my commandment: love one
another, as I have loved you. No one can have greater love than to lay down his
life for his friends.
You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master's
business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I
have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that the Father will give
you anything you ask him in my name. My command to you is to love one another.
3)
REFLECTION
• Today Gospel of John 15, 12-17 has already been meditated a
few days ago (..... or it will be read again within a few days). Let us take
some of the points considered that day.
• John 15, 12-13: To love one another as he has loved us. The
commandment of Jesus is only one: “to love one another as he has loved us!” (Jn
15, 12) Jesus exceeds the Old Testament. The ancient criterion was the
following: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Lv 18, 19). The new
criterion is: “Love one another as I have loved you”. It is the phrase that we
sing even today and which says: “There is no greater love than to give one’s
life for one’s brother!”
• John 15, 14-15: Friends and not servants. You are my friends
if you do what I command you”, that is, the practise of love up to the point of
the total gift of oneself! Immediately Jesus presents a very high ideal for the
life of his disciples. He says: “I shall no longer call you servants, because a
servant does not know his master’s business. I call you friends because I have
made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father!” Jesus no longer had
any secrets for his disciples. He tells us everything that he has heard from
the Father! Behold the wonderful ideal of life in community: to reach a total
transparency, to the point of not having any secrets among us and to have full
trust with one another, to be able to speak about the experience of God that we
have and of life, and thus, be able to mutually enrich one another. The first
Christians succeeded to reach this ideal after many years: “they had one only
heart and one only soul” (Ac 4, 32; 1, 14; 2, 42-46).
• John 15, 16-17: Jesus has chosen us. We have not chosen Jesus.
He met us, called us and entrusted a mission to us to go and bear fruit, and a
fruit which lasts. We need him, but he also wants to need us and our work in
order to be able to continue to do today, for the people what he did for the
people of Galilee. The last recommendation: This is my commandment: to love one
another!”
4)
FOR PERSONAL CONFRONTATION
• To love our neighbour as Jesus has loved us. This is the ideal
of every Christian. How do I live it?
• All that I have heard from the Father I make it known to you.
This is the ideal of the community: to attain total transparency. How do I live
this in my community?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready;
I will sing, and make music for you.
Awake, my glory, awake, lyre and harp,
that I may awake the Dawn. (Ps 57,7-8)
I will sing, and make music for you.
Awake, my glory, awake, lyre and harp,
that I may awake the Dawn. (Ps 57,7-8)
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