FRIDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 15:12-17) THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
FIRST READING - Acts 16:1-10
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
1 He reached [also] Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him, 3 and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,[a] for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem. 5 Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.
6 They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus[b] did not allow them, 8 so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. 9 During [the] night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we[c] sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 15:18-21
"You do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world."
✠From the Gospel according to John
18 “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you,[a] ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,[b] because they do not know the one who sent me.
FRIDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER - Gospel (John 15:12-17)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
In today's Word of God, God the Father reveals to humanity that before Jesus went to His death, He instructed His disciples: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you, and remain in my love.”
Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of maintaining a close, fraternal relationship with one another. He desired the best for His disciples, so He advised them: “Love one another”; for only love brings life, joy, and happiness to humanity.
Whoever remains in God's love, He will reveal to them what He does, and whatever they ask, He will grant them.
The promises of Jesus Christ are always the truth, and He never breaks His word.
Jesus said: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit.” Thus, everyone’s vocation is ordained by God. God sees what is good for each individual and entrusts them with that mission, but the most important thing God desires is that everyone to live by is: “Love.”
Only by living in love can we bear much fruit; and to bear much fruit, we must sacrifice ourselves, know how to give, and know how to prune away unnecessary things- only then can we bear much fruit as God calls us to do.
God calls everyone to live and act according to His teachings: to live in love and remain in God's love by spreading that love to others. Only the sign of love is pleasing to God and proves that it comes from Him. If there is no love, then it does not come from God.
Those chosen by God should live by demonstrating the signs of love, forgiveness, humility, littleness, and simplicity before God. In this way, by that sign, people will recognize that these are truly the disciples of God, those whom God has chosen.
However, if we do not live according to God's teachings, if we harbor envy, jealousy, hatred, anger, resentment, and mutual criticism of one another, then those things come from Satan; Satan will fail to show the sign of God's love and will not bear the fruit of bringing souls back to God.
Love always requires sacrifice and self-denial, but it will bring forth many fruits of happiness. Just as Jesus Christ offered Himself for humanity to save souls, these are the good fruits that Jesus offered back to God the Father.
He now also calls upon His disciples to do the same: to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others, to save souls and offer them to God the Father.
Remain in God's love, and He will grant us all things and reveal His works to us. There is no greater happiness than having God dwell within our hearts.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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