Oneness in Christ Jesus

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 can 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 you 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.

If you find them helpful, read, meditate and use them for your pray. The Word of God will be the food of your life. Jesus said: I am the bread of life, he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

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Wednesday 13 May 2020

ONENESS IN CHRIST JESUS

Cf. Ps 71: 8, 23

Let my mouth be filled with your praise, that I may sing aloud;

my lips shall shout for joy, when I sing to you, alleluia.

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Father, we are sinners and through our sins lose the innocence of our Baptism. But, through our repentance, in your mercy, you restore it to us. You have set us free from the darkness of unbelief through the waters of Baptism. May we never stray from the light of your truth. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

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First reading

Acts 15:1-6

They were to go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders

Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.

All the members of the church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they told how the pagans had been converted, and this news was received with the greatest satisfaction by the brothers. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and by the apostles and elders, and gave an account of all that God had done with them.

But certain members of the Pharisees’ party who had become believers objected, insisting that the pagans should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter. The Word of the Lord.

The first Christians were Jews. Jesus had been a Jew. Many priests and pharisees had become believers. They all continued to go to the Temple to pray. They saw no opposition in being a devout Jew and a devout Christian. Did Jesus not say, I have not come to abolish the Law of Moses, but to bring it to fulfilment? They loved the Law of Moses and would give their lives for it. It was God’s great gift to the human race. Gentiles had no idea of the Jewish religion and the Law of Moses, yet they believed now in Jesus. Their faith was true and deep. But, like Jesus and like themselves, the Jewish Christians thought,  should they not also keep the Law of God given through Moses?

The leaders of the Church were deeply divided. Paul would not surrender his view – even if an angel from heaven teaches something different from what I have taught, let him be anathema, he will say later. Paul, he says later too, was afraid that Peter and the others would not agree. That would mean a split in Christianity right down the middle. He would have to depart. But they all put the oneness, the overriding unity of the Church before their own views. They prayed and talked till they found the solution of the Holy Spirit. Would that later generations of Christians would have had the same desire to preserve the unity of the Spirit. We wouldn’t experience the numerous divisions of the Christian Church that we do today. Let us, too, pray and work for unity in faith and worship.

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Psalm 122:1-5

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

‘Let us go to God’s house.’

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgement

of the house of David.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

Gospel

John 15:1-8

I am the vine, you are the branches

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty;

for cut off from me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.

If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.’

All believers are to be one in Christ.  We make up the one vine which is Christ Jesus and we are all the branches. We eat his Body and drink his Blood and so he takes us into himself. We live because of him. We become his Body, the branches of him the Vine. Jesus is to bear fruit in the world through us. The sap of his life is to flow abundantly through us. Externally this will show itself through unity in fellowship and worship and love, showing itself in works of charity and justice.

For this to happen, each believer must become intimately united with Jesus. This comes about through living faith, the Holy Eucharist and prayer.

Do you experience, in faith, a loving union with Jesus when you receive Holy Communion? Does Jesus live in and through you afterwards or do you forget?

The Lord has risen and shone his light upon us,

whom he has redeemed by his Blood, alleluia.

Prayer

Loving Father, you give us your love through giving us your Son, Jesus. He is the food of life for us. We in our turn give you our love and our lives. May this holy exchange make us fruitful in this life and bring us to the joys of life with you in the next. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.