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| “St. James the Lesser” by El Greco, 1610-1614 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
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.”
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Commentary on Acts 15:7-21
The debate over whether the Gentiles must follow
all of the Law of Moses continues, as St. Paul has brought a volatile topic to
the Apostles in Jerusalem. Supported by St. Peter, he has made the fundamental
argument that all are invited to be saved through faith in Christ. The “yoke”
Peter speaks of is a reference to the “Yoke of the Torah” or the “Kingdom of
Heaven,” not necessarily a burden but a goal.
The response of St. James the Lesser (the same
James related in Galatians 2:1-10 presiding
over the Council of Jerusalem) cites Amos 9: 11-12 and makes an apostolic decree. He
minimizes the Hebrew Laws the Gentiles must follow, binding them to Leviticus 17:7-9 [false idols] and Leviticus 17:10ff [dietary rules]. St. Luke here apparently
combines two distinct events; the First Jerusalem Council which deals with circumcision
and the second which deals with dietary laws.
CCC: Acts 15:10 578
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
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Commentary on Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10
This selection from Psalm 96 is a song of praise
and thanksgiving (Psalm 96 is a Royal Psalm). It is used in conjunction with
the theme of unity, announcing God’s salvation to all peoples of all lands.
CCC: Ps 96:2 2143
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Gospel: John 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.”
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Commentary on Jn 15:9-11
The discourse on the union of Jesus with his
disciples continues. Jesus’ words become a monologue and go beyond the
immediate crisis of his departure. In this passage Jesus focuses on the
chain of love from the Father, through the Son, to his followers. In the
concluding statement (v.11), Jesus expresses the means by which the peace he
offers is accomplished, through the unity of faith and trust in God's only
Begotten Son.
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Homily:
If you were asked to do one of those word
association tests where you say the first thing that comes to mind when one
word was said, and the word you were given was “love,” what would come to
mind? If what came to mind were words that had similar meanings, you
might have come up with: “passion, piety, rapture, adoration, or respect.”
If you associated love with a common phrase, you might have thought of
“marriage,” and if you thought about opposites you may have come up with
“hate.”
In the Gospel, when Jesus, tells the disciples,
“keep my commandments,” he speaks specifically of the only commandments
he has personally given them: love God and love one another. He makes it
clear that this is the path to his peace, the peace he has wished them, the
peace he wishes us. The Lord sees clearly what happens to people who
cannot live this commandment of his. How can one find peace if hatred is
in their heart? If one embraces hate, it becomes like a cancer eating
away the soul. In hatred there is only sorrow, there can be no joy.
And the only remedy for hatred is forgiveness from the heart.
In this very short Gospel, Jesus sums up all he
has tried to teach his friends about God’s mission in the world. It is
the very reason Jesus had to come to us, to show us that God was love itself,
not some vengeful judge who visited death and destruction on his enemies.
Jesus speaks to his friends and to us, making it clear that, to find the path to
God, all we need to do is replace all of the ignoble feelings of hate, lust,
and greed with one feeling and one purpose, love for one another.
It is his commandment to us and in following it
we find peace and eternal life.
Pax
[1]
The picture
is “St. James the Lesser” by El Greco, 1610-1614.
[3]
The
readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm
and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB
and is for private use only.
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