Fifth Week of Easter
12th May 2023 (Friday) Readings and Reflection
Reading of the Day
First Reading: ACTS 15.22-31
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” 30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12
R/. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples. Or: Alleluia.
Gospel : JOHN 15.12-17
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Friends who really love!
Indicative: The Lord chose us to be his friends. He commands us to love one another. This manifests itself in bearing much fruit{alertSuccess}
1. We can concentrate on three ideas: God chooses, God commands and God makes us friends. The choice of God is unlike the choice of the world. The world’s choices are always made on the basis of certain conditions and motives. It is always in the interests of the self and not the others. Certain conditions and qualifications are demanded.
2. But the choice of God is without any prescribed conditions or self-interests. Anybody and everybody who has the good will and love for God is chosen. These are not conditions because they are the natural capacities of heart which are possible for all. They are not special acquisitions that require training and expertise.
3. The choice of God is always in the interests of us. It is to elevate our dignity. It is to raise us from the level of servants to the level of friends. It is to reveal to us the divine mysteries. He makes us friends and dies for our sake.
4. Friendship with Christ is to do what he commands us. And doing what he commands us is not subjugating us to do whatever he wants or promoting his self-interests. It is to love one another to the extent of dying for the other.
Imperative: True friendship is based on true love. True love is based on keeping his commandments. And the greatest commandment is to love another even to death’s point.{alertSuccess}