Sixth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 56
Lectionary: 56
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
"Get up. I myself am also a human being."
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him."
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?"
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
"Get up. I myself am also a human being."
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him."
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
"Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?"
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
R. (cf. 2b) The
Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 21 JN 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
AlleluiaJN 14:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 15:9-17
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 may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
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."
"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 may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
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 the source and origin of love - divine and
human
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).
God's love has been poured into our hearts
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.
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.
A new way of loving and serving one another
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 laid 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,
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 laid 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 personally 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 personally 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?
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)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Love encompasses the other commandments,
by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD
"This is my commandment." Have you then only
one precept? This is sufficient, even if it is unique and so great.
Nevertheless he also said, "Do not kill" (Matthew 19:18) because the
one who loves does not kill. He said, "Do not steal," because the one
who loves does even more - he gives. He said, "Do not lie," for the
one who loves speaks the truth, against falsehood. "I give you a new
commandment" (John 13:14). If you have not understood what "This is
my commandment" means, let the apostle be summoned as interpreter and say,
"The goal of his commandment is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). What is its
binding force? It is that of which [the Lord] spoke, "Whatever you want
others to do to you, you should do also" (Matthew 7:12)."Love one
another" in accordance with this measure, "as I have loved you."
That is not possible, for you are our Lord who loves your servants. But we who
are equals, how can we love one another as you have loved us? Nevertheless, he
has said it... His love is that he has called us his friends. If we were to
give our life for you, would our love be equal to yours?... How then can what
he said be explained, "As I have loved you"? "Let us die for
each other," he said. As for us, we do not even want to live for one
another! "If I, who am your Lord and God, die for you, how much more
should you die for one another." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 19.13)
6th Sunday of Easter – Cycle B
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Our first reading today takes place several years after Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection – after Saul’s conversion (last week’s reading). The conversion of the pagan Cornelius is one of the high points of the Acts of the Apostles. Cornelius was the centurion in command of the Italian cohort stationed at Caesarea. He was a proselyte (one who approaches) of the type called “those who fear God,” who accepted the Jewish Law but did not become full members of the Jewish community by circumcision.
Cornelius’ conversion is an extremely important event because it demonstrates the fact that the Gospel is addressed to all men and shows that the power of the Holy Spirit knows no limits. Up to this point the Gospel has been preached only to Jews. Its extension to the Samaritans was seen as an announcement of salvation to people who had at one time formed part of the Chosen People. By preaching only to Jews, the disciples were having regard to the fact that the people of Israel were the only people chosen by God to be bearers of the divine promises – therefore they had a right to be the first to receive the definitive message of salvation. Our Lord Himself had acted on this principle and had told His disciples to preach only “to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).
Now God steps in to make Peter realize that the Good News is meant for all – it is His desire that all men be saved and therefore the Christians need to shed the narrow ideas of Judaism as regards the scope of salvation and proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth; to all people in all lands.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
This gesture was normally regarded as cultic, implying that the person so honored was either divine or angelic.
26 Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Saint Peter wards off the act of reverence which Cornelius has given him. In the apocryphal Acts of Peter, this form of greeting the apostle was not unusual because those who met the apostles did not regard them as mere humans.
34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Literally, “God is not one showing favors” is an allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17. Salvation is available to the Jews and to the Gentiles.
35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
One who acts uprightly is one who practices righteousness. Saint Peter implies that this can be done even if one is not a Jew.
44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
Just like the Holy Spirit came to all in the Upper Room at Pentecost
45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
The Jewish converts who had come from Joppa with him
were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
This is an echo of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 3:1-5) which was applied to Pentecost in Acts 2:17-18.
46 for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Just as at the first Pentecost appearance when He came upon Peter and the apostles.
Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”
God is the one who is in control of this situation. The Spirit has moved, the institution can only follow.
48 He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
This is a baptismal formula which appears only in the Acts of the Apostles. This does not necessarily mean that this is the form of words which the apostles normally used in the liturgy rather than the Trinitarian formula prescribed by Jesus (Matthew 28:19). It simply means “becoming a member of Christ, becoming a Christian.”
2nd Reading - 1 John 4:7-10
Being children of God, we are called to show that divine filiation in our dealings with
others. We are to show love in our dealings with our fellow man. This is not the love that is natural to man, but the love that has been revealed by God and is perceived by faith.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God;
The motive of love is the origin of love in God; whoever loves, thereby proves that he has his own origin in the same God with whom he has fellowship.
everyone who loves is begotten by God
He is born of God.
and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
Love not only comes from God as from a source, it is itself the very essence of God.
9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
The love of God as He has made it known to men is through revelation
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
The supreme event in which God has revealed His love has been His mission of His Son into this world to be its savior. By being saved we become heirs to the eternal kingdom.
10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
This love has been wholly gratuitous on God’s part, unmotivated by any worthiness on the part of man (Romans 5:5-9); it is a love that has a meaning in man only to the extent that it continues the love revealed in God. He who was sinless made the perfect sacrifice for all of us who are sinful and imperfect.
Gospel - John 15:9-17
Last week we heard Jesus teach of the vine and the branches and how God the vine dresser prunes the branches to increase their yield and how He removes completely the branches which remain unproductive. Today we hear that teaching continued.
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
Love is the principle of the relation between the Father to the Son; the same love has brought the Church into being.
10 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.
The disciples must continue to keep themselves worthy of the protection of Christ’s love. Not once saved, always saved – they must continue to live and love in Christ.
11 AI have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Jesus’ death is the highest example of love – and for Him it is not a sad, but a joyous, event.
12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus’ own joyous sacrifice is the example which we are all called to emulate. Not senseless death, but the giving of our very selves for others. The love of Christ gives us the ability to do this.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves,
There was nothing wrong with being known as the slaves of God. The Hebrews had borne this title since the sin of the golden calf.
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
In the normal course of things, the slave is not admitted to the counsels of the master; he simply obeys.
I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
As God’s children, we have a share in the divine inheritance and Jesus has revealed His (and our) Father’s plan to us.
16 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.
The mission of the Apostles, and ours as well, is to follow Christ – to preach and teach. We can accomplish this mission when we seek effectiveness through prayer (“... through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior ...”).
17 This I command you: love one another.
It is God’s love that has brought the Church together. The Son was sent by the Father, and the Son has chosen His own, whose mission and whole life continues the work of divine grace.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Our first reading today takes place several years after Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection – after Saul’s conversion (last week’s reading). The conversion of the pagan Cornelius is one of the high points of the Acts of the Apostles. Cornelius was the centurion in command of the Italian cohort stationed at Caesarea. He was a proselyte (one who approaches) of the type called “those who fear God,” who accepted the Jewish Law but did not become full members of the Jewish community by circumcision.
Cornelius’ conversion is an extremely important event because it demonstrates the fact that the Gospel is addressed to all men and shows that the power of the Holy Spirit knows no limits. Up to this point the Gospel has been preached only to Jews. Its extension to the Samaritans was seen as an announcement of salvation to people who had at one time formed part of the Chosen People. By preaching only to Jews, the disciples were having regard to the fact that the people of Israel were the only people chosen by God to be bearers of the divine promises – therefore they had a right to be the first to receive the definitive message of salvation. Our Lord Himself had acted on this principle and had told His disciples to preach only “to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).
Now God steps in to make Peter realize that the Good News is meant for all – it is His desire that all men be saved and therefore the Christians need to shed the narrow ideas of Judaism as regards the scope of salvation and proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth; to all people in all lands.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
This gesture was normally regarded as cultic, implying that the person so honored was either divine or angelic.
26 Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Saint Peter wards off the act of reverence which Cornelius has given him. In the apocryphal Acts of Peter, this form of greeting the apostle was not unusual because those who met the apostles did not regard them as mere humans.
34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Literally, “God is not one showing favors” is an allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17. Salvation is available to the Jews and to the Gentiles.
35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
One who acts uprightly is one who practices righteousness. Saint Peter implies that this can be done even if one is not a Jew.
44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
Just like the Holy Spirit came to all in the Upper Room at Pentecost
45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
The Jewish converts who had come from Joppa with him
were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
This is an echo of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 3:1-5) which was applied to Pentecost in Acts 2:17-18.
46 for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Just as at the first Pentecost appearance when He came upon Peter and the apostles.
Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”
God is the one who is in control of this situation. The Spirit has moved, the institution can only follow.
48 He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
This is a baptismal formula which appears only in the Acts of the Apostles. This does not necessarily mean that this is the form of words which the apostles normally used in the liturgy rather than the Trinitarian formula prescribed by Jesus (Matthew 28:19). It simply means “becoming a member of Christ, becoming a Christian.”
2nd Reading - 1 John 4:7-10
Being children of God, we are called to show that divine filiation in our dealings with
others. We are to show love in our dealings with our fellow man. This is not the love that is natural to man, but the love that has been revealed by God and is perceived by faith.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God;
The motive of love is the origin of love in God; whoever loves, thereby proves that he has his own origin in the same God with whom he has fellowship.
everyone who loves is begotten by God
He is born of God.
and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
Love not only comes from God as from a source, it is itself the very essence of God.
9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
The love of God as He has made it known to men is through revelation
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
The supreme event in which God has revealed His love has been His mission of His Son into this world to be its savior. By being saved we become heirs to the eternal kingdom.
10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
This love has been wholly gratuitous on God’s part, unmotivated by any worthiness on the part of man (Romans 5:5-9); it is a love that has a meaning in man only to the extent that it continues the love revealed in God. He who was sinless made the perfect sacrifice for all of us who are sinful and imperfect.
Gospel - John 15:9-17
Last week we heard Jesus teach of the vine and the branches and how God the vine dresser prunes the branches to increase their yield and how He removes completely the branches which remain unproductive. Today we hear that teaching continued.
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
Love is the principle of the relation between the Father to the Son; the same love has brought the Church into being.
10 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.
The disciples must continue to keep themselves worthy of the protection of Christ’s love. Not once saved, always saved – they must continue to live and love in Christ.
11 AI have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Jesus’ death is the highest example of love – and for Him it is not a sad, but a joyous, event.
12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus’ own joyous sacrifice is the example which we are all called to emulate. Not senseless death, but the giving of our very selves for others. The love of Christ gives us the ability to do this.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves,
There was nothing wrong with being known as the slaves of God. The Hebrews had borne this title since the sin of the golden calf.
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
In the normal course of things, the slave is not admitted to the counsels of the master; he simply obeys.
I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
As God’s children, we have a share in the divine inheritance and Jesus has revealed His (and our) Father’s plan to us.
16 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.
The mission of the Apostles, and ours as well, is to follow Christ – to preach and teach. We can accomplish this mission when we seek effectiveness through prayer (“... through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior ...”).
17 This I command you: love one another.
It is God’s love that has brought the Church together. The Son was sent by the Father, and the Son has chosen His own, whose mission and whole life continues the work of divine grace.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
SUNDAY, MAY 6, JOHN 15:9-17
(Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 4:7-10)
SUNDAY, MAY 6, JOHN 15:9-17
(Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 4:7-10)
KEY VERSE: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (v.12).
TO KNOW: Jesus taught his disciples about the intimate unity that existed between him and his Father. Everything that Jesus said and did was in obedience to his Father's word. The Father's love so filled Jesus that it overflowed to his followers through the Spirit. His disciples would remain in Jesus' love if they were obedient to his "new" command: to love one another as he loved them. Jesus' commandment to love God and to love one's neighbor as oneself fulfilled and summed up all the other commandments. There was no other commandment greater than these (Mk 12:31b). Jesus' disciples were loyal to the mission that he entrusted to them when they revealed his love to the world. They were his "friends" (Jn 15:14) if they demonstrated that love by their readiness to lay down their lives as he did. Jesus did not ask his followers to do anything that he himself was unwilling to do. He would prove his love on Calvary by offering his life for the sake of his friends (John 15:13).
TO LOVE: In what ways have I shown sacrificial love to my friends?
TO SERVE: Risen Lord, help me to love others as you do.
Sunday 6 May
2018
Week II Psalter. Sixth Sunday of Easter.
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48. Psalm 97(98):1-4. 1 John
4:7-10. John 15:9-17.
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power—Psalm
97(98):1-4.
God does not have favourites.
Today’s first reading reminds us God loves everyone and that the
Spirit comes to all who believe. For this we give thanks. It is good to end
each day with a brief thanksgiving for what stands out as particularly
thanks-worthy. As we more and more thank God for our daily trivia, our heart
opens in awareness of the divine smile on so many everyday affairs.
Lord, help me sense your kindness in each little daily benefit;
to be more and more appreciative of the marvel of your Son’s unlimited
self-giving—even to the opening of his heart upon the cross. Open my heart to
an awareness of how much you truly love me.
Saints Marian and James
Saint of the Day for May 6
(d. May 6, 259)
 |
| “The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer” | Jean-Léon Gérôme |
Saints Marian and James’s Story
Saints Marian, an ordained lector, and James, a deacon, were
martyred during the persecution of Valerian around the year 259. Few other
facts are known about them.
It seems that while they were in prison, each had a vision
regarding his martyrdom. They drew courage from these apparitions and were able
to courageously face death. They were joined in their deaths by other
Christians.
Reflection
The old saying that the more things change the more they stay
the same may apply to today’s celebration. Two faithful people facing the
hardships of life during persecution in the third century may have a lot in
common with those facing persecution for their faith today.
LECTIO DIVINA: 6TH SUNDAY OF
EASTER (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, May 6, 2018
Jesus’ commandment
John 15:9-17
John 15:9-17
1. OPENING PRAYER
Father, You are the source of life and
You always surprise us with Your gifts. Grant us the grace of responding to the
call of Your Son Jesus who has called us friends, so that in following Him, our
Master and Shepherd, we may learn to observe His commandments, the new and
definitive Law that is Himself, the way leading to You and of remaining in You.
Through Christ Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
2. THE TEXT
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
may be in you and your joy might be complete. 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."
3. READING
The context of our passage already
determines the tone: this is Jesus’ long discourse to His disciples during the
Last Supper and after the washing of the feet of the disciples, which,
according to John, characterizes Jesus’ ministry of love even to the end (Jn
13:1-15). If we look at these compact chapters, we can see a dynamism which
goes from a gesture as such, the washing of the feet, a gesture in keeping with
Jesus’ works as signs of His identity and which appeal to the faith of those
looking on and listening, to the long discourse addressed to His disciples. It
is an indication of the required attitude and the reality to look for, even
including the prayer of Jesus to the Father (Jn 17), a prayer that goes beyond
the circle of His disciples for the benefit of all those who believe in Him in
all times. There is an ascending movement of the narrative that coincides with
the raising of Jesus on the cross, an upward movement perceived by John as the
glorification of Jesus and one that ultimately describes Easter as the passing
of the Word from humanity back to the Father.
In Jesus’ discourse, expressions follow
one another closely, which is neither oppressive in its rhythm nor tiring. Each
expression is complete, simple, incisive, and places the Jesus of John in a
continuity of favorite themes and terms.
Just before this passage, Jesus spoke of
Himself as the true vine (Jn 15:1). It is an image describing two
relationships: the Father, who is the vine dresser, and the disciples, who are
the branches. This image is revealing. Besides being an exhortation to the
disciples, it is a given fact: the Father looks after His precious plants, and
looks after the relationship established between Jesus and His disciples, so
that the disciples now live in a communion that defines them. The exhortation
is expressed in the very image itself, and is made explicit and centered in the
word “remain.” The disciples are called to remain in Jesus just like the
branches remain in the vine so as to have life and bear fruit. The theme of
bearing fruit is also that of asking and receiving, which recurs in our
passage, putting before us an example of John’s special style of hinting and
echoing. The tone of verse 9 changes because there is no longer an image but a
direct reference to a relationship: “I have loved you just as the Father has
loved Me”. Jesus places Himself in a descending order that goes from God to
humanity. The verb “to love” has already occurred in chapter 14 in connection
with the observance of the commandments. In our passage it occurs again in a
new synthesis where the “commandments” give way to “the commandment” of Jesus:
“My command to you is to love one another” (Jn 15:17). This reciprocal
relationship is repeated immediately after in an incisive command: “remain in
my love.” Jesus goes from the verb “to love”, to the substantive “love”, to
show that the action flowing from the Father through the Son to humanity has
created a new order of things, a possibility which was unthinkable until then.
In verse 10, the observance of Jesus’ commandments is for the disciples, a way
of responding to His love in an analogical and real continuity of the way the
Son, who has observed the commandments of the Father, has done. This
perspective is quite different from that of the legalism that had monopolized the
terms “law” and “commandments.” Everything is referred to Jesus in a
truer perspective: a response of love to the love received. The proclamation of
the possibility of remaining in the presence of God. The words in verse 11
become a further way out of the legalistic mentality: the aim is joy, a joy of
relationship, the joy of Christ in His disciples, and their joy present in its
fullness.
In verse 12, as we have already said,
the discourse becomes more urgent. Jesus says that His commandments are a
single one: “that you love one another as I have loved you.” Notice how the
line of relationships remains the same, always as a response: the disciples
will love one another in the way that Jesus has loved them. What follows,
however, re-establishes in absolute terms the primacy of Jesus’ gift: “No one
can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” (v. 13). This
is an action that lifts the terms of involvement to its highest point, the gift
of life. Here we have a conspicuous digression in the new name given to the
disciples, namely that of “friends” as opposed to that of “servants”. The
difference lies in the fact that the servant does not know what his master is
planning. The servant is called to do and that is all. Jesus’ discourse follows
a thread: it is because He has loved His disciples and is about to give His
life for them that He has revealed to them His Father’s plan. He did this by
means of His signs and works. He will do this in the greatest of His works, His
death on the cross. Again Jesus shows His close relationship with the Father:
“I have made known to you everything I have learned from my Father” (v. 15).
Yet at the center of this affirmation to His disciples as friends Jesus
expresses an order of things: “You are My friends if you do what I command you”
(v. 14).
The final verses of our passage recall
the image of the vine with the added statements above: It is Jesus who has
chosen His disciples, not the other way around. The initiative is His. However,
the image of the vine planted in the soil is presented differently. The
disciples are called so that they may go, and it is in this going that they
will bear fruit; then the fruit is meant to remain (the same word used as in
remaining in Jesus’ love).
The identity of the disciples is based
on the choice made by Jesus and points to a journey to be undertaken, a fruit
to be borne. The picture is complete: the call in the past, the present
listening, and the future bearing of fruit. Yet there is still someone who must
be considered, there is still an attitude to acquire. “To bear fruit” may lead
the disciples towards unilateral action. However, the words “so that” connect
the bearing of fruit to what follows: to ask and to receive, to experience need
and to receive the gift abundantly and freely given (“anything you ask”). That
someone whom Jesus reveals is the Father, source of love and of the mission of
the Son, the Father to whom we may turn to in the name of the Son to that
extent we have remained in His love. The conclusion is given in a solemn and
concise form: “My command to you is to love one another.”
4. MEDITATION
Jesus’ words just before his
glorification tell the Church the meaning of following Him and His demands.
They are strong words, mirroring the glory of Him who will freely give His life
for the salvation of the world (cf. Jn 10:17-18). They are also precise words:
simple, essential, close, connected and typical of a farewell discourse where
repetition becomes a pressing and gentle appeal. To be a disciple of Christ is
first of all a gift: it is He who has chosen His own. It is He who has revealed
to them His mission, and in doing so, has revealed the “background” of the plan
of salvation: the will of the Father, the love between Father and Son, which is
now communicated to humanity. The disciples now know. This knowledge will
demand options so as not to remain in an empty and sterile pretense (cf. 1 Jn
4:8.20). “Remain” in the love of Jesus and observe His “commandments” is above
all a revelation, the gift of a supreme possibility that frees people from a
servile state even with respect to God and places them in a new, full and
reciprocal relationship with Him, typical of friendship. “To remain in His
love” is what the Synoptics would call the “kingdom of God,” a new stage in
history, at first wounded and now freed.
In the Hebrew culture, the observance of
the commandments was connected with pedantic teaching that often went into the
smallest details. This had its value because it witnessed to an effort by pious
Jews to remain faithful to God. Their image of God and relationship to Him also
reflected their needs and abilities at the time as they interacted with
neighboring cultures. However, they ran the risk, common to all human
endeavors, of losing sight of God’s initiative and emphasizing the human
response. In John’s Gospel, Jesus restores and renews the meaning of the “law”
and the “commandments” with the concept of “love” and the invitation to
“remain.” When Jesus proclaims and shows the love of the Father in the act of giving
His life for the salvation of the world, He renews and personalizes this
observance. It is love that reveals its quality, not in the abstract, but in
the concrete and visible face of Christ who loves “to the end” and lives in
person the greatest love. Several times Jesus describes His relationship with
the Father. The fact that here He places himself under the sign of obedience to
the Father gives new meaning to obedience. It is not the obedience of a servant
but of a Son. The work to be accomplished, that is, “the commandments of My
Father,” is not something separate from the person of Jesus, but that which He
knows and desires wholeheartedly. The Word that was with the Father is always
with Him to accomplish the things that please the Father in a communion that is
life-giving. This is precisely what Jesus asks of His disciples: to keep in
mind that “as the Father has loved… as I have loved you” must not remain on the
level of an example, but on the level of action. The love of the Father is the
source of the love expressed by the Son, and the love of the Son is the source
of the love that the disciples will give to the world.
Knowledge and practice are thus closely
connected in the “spiritual Gospel,” as John’s Gospel has been called by the
Fathers of the Church. When faith is authentic, it will not put up with a
dichotomy concerning life.
In this passage, the disciples appear as
the object of the caring cure of their Master. He will not forget them, not
even in the imminent trial to come, when He prays for them to the Father and
“for those who through their teaching will come to believe in Me” (Jn 17:20).
At the end of their listening, their welcoming, and their commitment, there is
joy, which is the same as that of their Master. He has chosen them using
criteria that only God knows, a choice that recalls the choice of Israel, the
smallest of all nations. It is Jesus who has formed, taught and strengthened
them. All this acquires a new and more intense meaning in the light of Easter
and Pentecost. It is like a paradox, and this is what they are called to: to be
steadfast and remain and yet to go. Steadfastness and dynamism whose source is
the mystery of God, whereby the Word was with the Father and yet built His tent
in our midst (cf. Jn 1:2.14).
Formed in steadfastness and going to
bear lasting fruit is what defines the task of the disciples after the Pasch of
the Lord, but in our passage this is connected with the invitation to ask the
Father in Jesus’ name. It is, then, from the Father, in Christ and with the
power of the Consoler that will come the grace to love, and in loving, to bear
witness.
5. PRAYER
There are some points in this passage
that may help us renew our style of prayer:
- Prayer that is truly
“Trinitarian,” not just theoretically or in its expression, but also as
an inherent dynamic of the prayer itself.
- The need for prayer and life to be
one. Prayer is the mirror, the expression and the measure of our life of faith.
- The joy that must accompany our
attitude of prayer.
- Appreciating all that is human
(awareness of relationships, love of prayer, experience of joy, perception of
union with God) and being aware that all is gift.
Psalm 119:129-136
Wonderful are Your instructions,
so I observe them.
As Your word unfolds it gives light,
and even the simple understand.
I open wide my mouth,
panting eagerly for Your commandments.
Turn to me, pity me;
those who love Your name deserve it.
Keep my steps firm in your promise
that no evil may triumph over me.
Rescue me from human oppression,
and I will observe Your precepts.
Let Your face shine on Your servant,
teach me Your will.
My eyes stream with tears
because Your Law is disregarded.
so I observe them.
As Your word unfolds it gives light,
and even the simple understand.
I open wide my mouth,
panting eagerly for Your commandments.
Turn to me, pity me;
those who love Your name deserve it.
Keep my steps firm in your promise
that no evil may triumph over me.
Rescue me from human oppression,
and I will observe Your precepts.
Let Your face shine on Your servant,
teach me Your will.
My eyes stream with tears
because Your Law is disregarded.
6. CONTEMPLATION
The Word of God calls us to confirm in
our heart and in our actions the newness of being disciples of the Son. The
four aspects: relationship with God, reading reality, commitment, and attention
to the life of the Church are like seeds of contemplation, attitudes and
possible choices.
Relationship with God: growing in an
awareness of being in relationship with the Trinity. “My beloved is mine, and I
am his” (Sg 2:16). We are thought of, wanted, gifted, saved between the Father
and the Son in the Spirit; presenting our actions in response to the love of
God who first called us.
Reading reality: recognizing personal
reactions to people and institutions, such as the trivializing of the concept
of “love” in a materialist interpretation as well as in spiritual escapism. On
the other hand, to be aware of the expectations of free and freeing
relationships as experiences of an authentic gift often not recognized.
Commitment to reality: to give one’s
life (in all its forms) as a concrete expression and appreciation of love; the
importance of new communications of experiences of wisdom in following the
fruits of the witness given to the Gospel in the world that God wishes to save.
The life of the Church as a life of
relationship in relationship: to see the Church not only as an image of the
Trinity, but “within” the Trinity; to regain the feeling of freedom and joy in
the community of believers.
7. CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for the
loving care with which You have taught and still teach Your disciples. We
praise You, Lord, conqueror of sin and of death, because You have gambled all
that was Yours, even Your infinite relationship with the Father in the Spirit.
You have presented this relationship to us who risk not understanding it,
trivializing it, forgetting it. You spoke of it to us so that we may understand
how great a love has given us life. Grant, Lord, that we may remain in You as
the branches remain united to the vine that nourishes them and allows them to
bear fruit. Turn your gaze of faith and hope on us that we may learn to go from
words and desires to concrete actions in imitation of You who have loved us to
the end when You gave Your life to us so that we may have life in You. You who
live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Spirit for ever and
ever. Amen.
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