I WILL COME TO YOU…

Acts 15:1-2,22-29

1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

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 brethren,
23 with the following letter: “The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting.
24 Since we have heard that some persons from us have 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 sake 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 upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Revelation 21:10-14,22-23

10 And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed;
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

John 14:23-29

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you.26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
28 You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe.  

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING traverse the discourse between, Paul, Barnabas’ and members of the Antioch community who reported, that some person’s have taught that unless the men be circumcisised, they cannot be saved.  

After reporting the matter at the Council in Jerusalem, the two apostles including a few other disciples were send to Antioch with a letter that once and for all state that baptism is the means how someone is saved. Additionally former pagan worshippers who became members of the body of Christ were notified to not partake in animal sacrifice rituals nor drink the blood of animals that were sacrificed to pagan gods. Church community members were put on notice to not engage in elicit sexual acts outside of a marriage union between a man and a woman.

St JOHN’S apocolyptic vision point to twelve gates that represent the twelve Apostles who took charge of the New Covenant Church, that was founded upon the rock of Christ with Peter as His earthly papal legate who shall issue sound doctrines. This new temple is illuminated by Christ Himself who shines and draw the people to the Father. 

THE GOSPEL READING: Christ continue to answer the question of how He will manifest Himself to the twelve by noting that when they express and live out their love of God, they will receive the indwelling Spirit of the Holy Trinity, whereby they will remember everything that He has taught them. More importantly the Holy Spirit shall council them when faced with difficult questions and situations that require supernatural help. 

We who have been baptised with water and the Spirit by the Trinity, surely have a spiritual advantage over the unbaptized, especially in circumstances when it appear that our lives are regressively falling apart; when we don’t know whether we are Arthur of Martha; when we have lost our sense and sensibilties to properly discern between right and wrong and good and evil. This is the operative time to indulge Holy Spirit and seek the hand of God and the wisdom of the Church who does not speak “my truth,” but the Gospel truth that cannot be falsified or manipulated  to suit our likes and tastes. Christ desire to come to us and fill us with His love and peace, not the peace of the world with all it’s makebelief allures and trappings that are of the devil! 

LET US PRAY: Psalms 67:2-3,5-6

2 that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee.
5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.

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.