Love for Jesus means love for one another

CATHOLIC DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

Welcome to my blog. The Catholic Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us each day at least two readings from the Bible, plus several verses from a psalm which is an inspired response to one of the readings, normally the first.

There is a cycle (a two year cycle for weekdays and a three year cycle for Sundays) which covers the major parts of the Old Testament, the Gospels and the New Testament writings.

Through these readings we get our spiritual nourishment. In my blog I give the readings and the inspirations I have received in my prayer. I want to share them with others. If they help some to get in touch with God and his image in this world, Jesus the Christ, then my purpose will be fulfilled. May God bless you through his Spirit.

Today in the Catholic Church we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, the apostle chosen in place of Judas. However, for the sake of the continuity of the readings I am following those for Thursday of the fifth week of Easter.

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Thursday 14 May 2020

Love for Jesus means love for one another

Prayer

Loving Father, we were sinners, but your grace has made us holy. We were in despair, but you have filled us with the hope of eternal life. As you work out our salvation, never leave us, but fill us always with your presence. Help us to persevere in your love. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ our Lord.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 15: 7-21

I rule that we do not make things difficult for pagans who turn to God.

 After the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up' and addressed the apostles and elders. 'My brothers,' he said 'you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers. In fact, God, who can read everyone's heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God's anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.'

This silenced the entire assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the pagans.

 When they had finished it was James who spoke. 'My brothers,' he said 'listen to me. Simon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say: After that I shall return and rebuild the fallen House of David; I shall rebuild it from its ruins and restore it. Then the rest of mankind, all the pagans who are consecrated to my name, will look for the Lord, says the Lord who made this known so long ago.

'I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.'

The word of the Lord.

The Church was faced with a very serous problem which could have split it in two in its very beginning. The problem was: should pagan converts have to follow all the prescriptions of the Law of Moses? Should they in fact have to become Jews as Jesus was a Jew and all the first converts? Both sides held very firm views and there had been fierce arguments. THE WORD OF THE LORD

All the leaders of the Church gathered in Jerusalem. They have given all generations of Christians a model for solving  disputes. They prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to seek the truth in a spirit of love, both for one another and for the pagan converts. They were open and listened to one another.  Then in love they discovered a way which was acceptable to all. The unity of the Church was for the first Christians paramount. ‘We must not break our oneness in Christ’ -  this was their principle. The Spirit showed them the way of truth and love.

Psalm 96 

R. Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

 Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.  Proclaim to the nations: 'God is king.' The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.

R. Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all peoples

Gospel

John 15:9-17

You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,

so I have loved 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 own joy may be in you

and your joy be complete.

This is my commandment:

love one another, as I have loved you.

A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

I shall not call you servants any more,

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.

You did not choose me:

no, I chose you;

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

and then the Father will give you

anything you ask him in my name.

What I command you

is to love one another.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

The Catholic Church is a visible society with certain structures and traditions. As the scaffolding around a house during its construction is necessary, though not beautiful, so the externals of the Church are necessary. They serve one purpose only. They are to safeguard and nourish the heart of our Catholic Faith.

The heart of our Faith is a personal loving relationship with Jesus. Jesus has chosen us for his own. He loves us as his Father loves him. The Father and the Son are one in love. Likewise, Jesus remains with us always, even physically with his humanity. The Holy Eucharist is the heart of our Faith. He is present because his love impels him to be with those, he loves with all his heart.

Our Catholic Faith is to respond to him, primarily in the Holy Eucharist though also in other ways, both as a community and as individuals who love him dearly, indeed with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. To the extent we have this personal relationship in love with Jesus, to that extent only are we Christian and Catholic.

Love is a sweet coercion to reach out to the beloved for their good. We sacrifice ourselves for the one we truly love. Our love for Jesus impels us to please him at all times and under all circumstance. Our love makes our life’s goal to bring him joy. So, we keep his commandments and are immediately and truly sorry if we ever fail him. The visible hallmark of the Church is to be mutual love like the love of Jesus for us.

Without this the externals, either for the Church as a whole or for the individual, have no meaning. Is your life centred on your love for Jesus? This is the key question we must ask ourselves.

Friendship with Jesus is our life, our Christian and Catholic life. The only limitation to this relationship, is the limitation of our love.

How is your relationship with Jesus?

Prayer

Almighty and living God, our Father, in the Resurrection of your Son, you have given us too eternal life. through the nourishment of your Word and Sacrament strengthen our faith so that we persevere in your love until the very end. We pray through Christ our Lord.