I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU…

Acts 15:7-21

7 And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brethren, listen to me.
14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
16 ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,17 that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,18 says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.21 For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues.”

John 15:9-11

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  

MEDITATION

St LUKE Describe an Ecumenical Church Council, the first of twenty-one councils over two thousand years, that was adjudicated by Peter to clarify the delicate matter of whether the Gentiles should be circumcised or not. After much debate, the assembly fell silent when Peter stood up to adress his Bishopric.

Peter essentially nullify the need for circumcision when he declared that since the neophytes hearts were cleansed by faith (v9), they have been saved by grace in baptism (v11), similar to how the apostles were saved!1Pt 3:21 St Paul who attended this meeting later taught and reaffirmed Peters command and judgement in regards this important matter. Rom 6:4;Eph 2:5-8

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord prepare the twelve apostles before His emminent departure, by reaffirming His love for them whilst He similarly pleads with them to “abide in his love” which essentially means that they must keep, observe and hold onto His words and teachings. Christ celebrate the fact that He was able to personally be with them and speak the Word to His Apostles. 

Our Lord give praise to the Father for allowing Him, the ‘Word’—the second person of the Trinity— to take the form of flesh, so He may personally [speak] the Word, unlike Moses, who went up the mountain to receive stone tablets with the inscribed commands. Jn 5:37 Christ continue to speak to us through ecumenical councils chaired by the Bishop of Rome, whose installation and ordination can be traced back to the first century.

LET US PRAY: Psalms 96:1-3,10

1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yea, the world is established, it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.