Acts 15: 7-21
After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them,
“My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.
After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,
‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up, so that all other peoples may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.’
Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Remain In My Love
What does God require from me?
In my youth, I often feared this question, and imagined worst case scenarios like having to go to a barren desert or a deserted island.
“God, who knows the heart” knows the “yoke” that we can’t bear. Yet, we’re tempted to put the brakes on God, and rely on the comfort of a limited commitment with a few simple rules, rather than constantly discerning what is God’s will.
We know the limit of laws and rules, but the same cannot be said about love, God’s true identity. Sometimes, like the Pharisees, we stay attached to our “way of proceeding”. So much, that we become “hall monitors”, policing others. Our vision of God often competes with God’s vision for us.
We are invited to be freed from that burden, that our “joy might be complete”.
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus poured abundant grace into our hearts, propelled by an all-encompassing, ever-expanding law: “remain in my love”. Could we ever calculate what we would do for love? We’re asked to open ourselves to God’s love. Our responsibility to others is to love them.
—Sindy Collazo graduated Weston Jesuit School of Theology and works for the Office of Ignatian Spirituality in the Jesuits East Province.
Prayer
Your Ways
I’m in awe of your ways, oh Lord
In me, You love and value what I don’t.
You gladly use what I want to discard.
If I see a dead end, You show me a path out.
If I’m blind, You make me listen.
If I’m deaf, You show me the truth.
When I rest, You visit my thoughts.
You lift me up when I’m humble and
tame me when I’m proud.
You frustrate my plans,
when I’m controlling
and help me advance
when I give You my trust.
You show me that love is the way
Because I was wounded,
I could help others heal
Because I was broken,
I could help others to mend.
Every time I feared to trust You
I was faced with your unrelenting love
You left me without arguments and excuses
and what was left was nothing more
but awe of your ways, oh Lord. Amen
—Sindy Collazo
Pray with the Pope
The Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intentions Brought to you by Apostleship of Prayer the first Friday of each month.