The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/051015.cfm) reminds me that God wants me to love others.
When we hear the word love, we think of something happy and romantic. However, love is not a feeling. Love is a decision. And God’s love for us caused him great pain. In the first reading, we see how God showed his love for all, when he sent the Holy Spirit down not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well. All people. In the second reading we see again how much God loves us. It is similar to the gospel, when Jesus told us the ultimate expression of love – when one lays down his life for his friends. Jesus did that for us.
Christ loved us when we were still sinners. He decided to love us all.
He died for us when we were still sinners. In fact, the reason he died was to save us from our sins. He decided to follow God. He decided to love us, even if we were unlovable sinners.
God wants us to love others that way as well.
It is easy to love those who love you. it is easy to love your family and friends. It is easy to show goodness to those good to you. However, God wants more from us. He wants us to decide to love others, especially those who are unlovable. He wants us to be good to those annoying people in our lives. He wants us to treat right those who we feel do not deserve it. He wants us to love like Jesus did.
May we follow Jesus’ call to love others, the way he loves us.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another Sunday. Thank you for another day to rest and spend time with you. Thank you for loving me, especially when I am very unlovable. Thank you for loving me despite my sins and my hard heart. Thank you for seeing the goodness in me. As I consume you in the Eucharist today, help me love like you do. May I see the goodness in others. May I love others, especially those who I feel are unlovable. Give me a heart like yours who would decide to love, regardless of what the other person is like. Love me Lord, and fill me with your love and goodness that I may be able to pass it on to others. Amen.
Blessed Sunday!
In Christ,
-g-
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May 10, 2015
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 56
Reading 1 Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
“Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.”
While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?”
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4R. (cf. 2b)
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 Jn 4:7-10
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Alleluia Jn 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 15:9-17
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 may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
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