Our Lord does not suggest or propose we love one another as He loved us. He commanded us in His love for us to do so even though we are given the absolute free will to choose to do so. The same applies to our fruit bearing and we must make a decision today whether or not we want to follow the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, our friend.
Is there any other God that you know of who seeks to have an such an intimate and loving relationship with mortals that could otherwise be seen as mere subjects even animated objects? Our one and only true God our Father,created us out of love and for us to share in His abounding love. And so does it not perfect sense that He wants us to love just as He loves us? A man has no greater love than to lay down His life for his friends; and so He our Lord Jesus Christ did so for us. Can we not likewise lay down our lives for our fellowmen, our brethren?
Let us then by the power of the Holy Spirit lead all our sister and brothers who now live free and continue to do so from all bondages of sin by, the Grace of the Lord our God; into greater worship, praise and thanksgiving of Him our Risen Lord. Let us bear fruit that will last! Amen
First reading
Acts 15:22-31 †
It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by us not to burden you beyond these essentials
The apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:
‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’
The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.
Gospel
John 15:12-17
What I command you is to love one another
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘This is my commandment: love one another,
as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends, if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know his master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me: no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you is to love one another.’
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