Thursday May 6  

FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

 

ALL ARE WELCOME IN THE CHURCH

 

Introduction

In full collegiality, the apostles decided at the Council of Jerusalem that the Church is to be open to all without any distinction. All are saved in the same way: through Jesus Christ. God loves all people. That must have been a tremendous challenge for the Jews, to whom pagans were unclean and alien.

Is the Church indeed open to all today? Is there no distinction of color, language, and social class? Is there no discrimination against the poor, against people with a “bad record?” People with long hair, who have different tastes in music, people with shorter sleeves or skirts? What are the things that really matter and that are objects of faith? What makes us stay and live in the love of Christ?

 

Opening Prayer

Lord, our God,
you want your Church
to be open to all persons and all nations,
for your Son was available to all
and you love all people.
God, give us open minds
and open hearts.
Save us from our narrow prejudices
and stop us from trying to create people
in our own image and likeness.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

 

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.”

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10

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.

 

Alleluia: Jn 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, 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.”

 

Intercessions

–   That the leaders of the Church may be always open to the Holy Spirit, especially when they have to take important decisions, we pray:

–   That God who knows the human heart, may keep the leaders and the faithful in the Church from discriminating against anyone, we pray:

–   That the Spirit of the Lord may dispose us to see the good that there is in others, also in those who differ much from us, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus, is here among us
not because we are a privileged class
but because you are good and loving.
Give us the Spirit of your Son,
that we may love all people
without any discrimination.
May faith and love unite us all
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, Father of all,
we remain in your love
if we keep your commandments.
Give us the strength
to keep your command of love
without any discrimination.
And if we have any favorites,
let it be the poor and the little people,
those without rights or name,
that we give them access to justice and joy.
In this way, may the joy of your Son be in us,
now and until it is complete forever.

 

Blessing

A world, even a Church, without discrimination and judgment, where people accept, appreciate and love one another, how great that would be! May we be one in the Lord who loves all of us, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

Can love be commanded or forced? I can’t force someone to love me! Love and commandments – these two words look like opposing each other. But, Jesus in today’s Gospel says, ‘if you want to be in my love, keep my commandments.” Does it sound like, ‘fulfil this requirement to be loved by Jesus?’ Certainly not. Jesus loves us without conditions; but the decision to accept or reject his love is totally our choice.

It is important to pay attention to the words of Jesus. Jesus does not keep conditions for his love. His love for us is totally unconditional – no additional requirements added for the love of Jesus. But, remaining in the love of Jesus is a personal choice. Disciples can choose not to abide in the love of Jesus by their refusal to love others. This was the command he had given – ‘love one another as I have loved you.’

Learning to love someone without expecting anything in return is difficult. In the same way, for a community to become a loving community is even more challenging. The powers of sin, embedded in human communities – through their personal insecurity, envy, unhealthy competitions and hostility can lurk, hidden but powerful. The task calls for honesty and courage; and may require suitable and effective structures for sharing, discernment and decision-making.

Only by remaining in his love, by trusting and surrendering to his love, can disciples hope to love one another without conditions. Their abiding in Jesus is always a work in progress.

Lord our God, Father of all,
we remain in your love
if we keep your commandments.
Give us the strength
to keep your command of love
without any discrimination.
And if we have any favourites,
let it be the poor and the little people,
those without rights or name,
that we give them access to justice and joy.
In this way, may the joy of your Son be in us,
now and until it is complete forever.