Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

“St. James the Lesser”
by El Greco, 1610-1614

Readings for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
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” as interpreted by the Pharisees.  This is not the yoke spoken of in Matthew 11: 28-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus speaks of 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. Additional emphasis is placed on the holiness of the “Name of God.”
 
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. In the unity of faith and belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the faithful find complete joy and peace.
 
CCC: Jn 15:9-10 1824; Jn 15:9 1823
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Reflection:
 
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.” (We suspect that if this test were given to a secular audience, the first associated word would probably be “sex.” We submit in this day and age that word is likely closer to an opposite.)
 
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 the ignoble feelings of hate, lust, and greed with one feeling and one purpose, love for one another. It is said that, in his exile to Patmos, St. John the Evangelist would daily give his disciples the three word homily “Love one another,” saying that it was the most important lesson the Lord gave his followers.
 
It is his commandment to us, and in following it we find peace and eternal life.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “St. James the Lesser” by El Greco, 1610-1614.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.