Sixth Sunday of Easter
10 MAY 2015
Lectionary: 56


(Peter Baptizing the Centurion Cornelius, Francesco Trevisani,1709)

First Reading 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, 3-4

R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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.

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.

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.

Second Reading 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.”



Gospel Reading: John 15:9-17

Continuing from last Sunday, the setting for this Sunday’s Gospel is just after the Last Supper discourse in the upper room (John 13:1—14:31). Jesus has just spoken of himself as the vine and as his disciples as the branches, and the necessity for them to abide in him and be fruitful, or to risk being cut off.

He now goes on to say that Christians are brought into the loving relationship of the Trinity (verses 9-11; 1 John 4:19). This involves a response of participation from us—and this participation should be marked by joy, the hallmark of the Christian life (Philippians 3:1; 4:4-7).

Jesus delivers his new commandment of love, which he himself keeps perfectly (verses 12-14). We fulfill this commandment by pouring out our life for love of God, as Jesus did on the Cross. It is clear that joyful obedience, and not just faith, is required to be a “friend” of Jesus.

Indeed, Jesus wants us to be his friends, rather than “slaves” (verse 15). Even though it is even a great honor to be slave of God (see Moses—Deuteronomy 34:5; Joshua—Josh 24:29; David—Psalm 89:20; Paul—Romans 1:1; James—James 1:1), to be God’s friend is to have special access to him.

Verse 15 makes clear we are specially chosen by Jesus for certain tasks: to “bear fruit that will remain”—fruits of holiness and apostolicity; and to persevere in prayer in Jesus name, especially as it applies to those fruits we are responsible to bear.

BIBLE QUESTIONS:

How is the promise of intimacy with Jesus conditional (verse 14)?

Who was the first person to be called a “friend” of God (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23)? What was the hallmark of this individual (Genesis 22:1-18)? What does it benefit us to be God’s friend (CCC 142, 1972)?

How does Jesus lay his life down for his friends? How does he want you to lay down yours? What does he say is the measure of our love for one another (verse 12; CCC 1825)? Does this love proceed from us as a source (John 15:4-5, 10)?

What if we do not love our brother and lay down our life for others (1 John 3:16-17)? How can we show this love in practical ways (CCC 2447)?

What does Jesus mean that we can ask and receive (verse 16; CCC 2745)? In whose name do we ask of the Father (verse 16; 16:23-24; Ephesians 2:18)?
(courtesy of Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics)

Bible Study--Sixth Sunday of Easter--Cycle B
(courtesy of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Picayune, MS-Faith Studies)


“As two pieces of wax fused together make one, so he who receives Holy Communion is so united with Christ that Christ is in him and he is in Christ.”
~St. Cyril of Alexandria

Blessed be God forever.


Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

       Amen...
 

one of the best prayers I've heard, zaphod!

God bless all your moms

 
I appreciate the kind words, but cannot accept them, simply because they are what Catholics respond at the end of the readings.

I did, however, goof up...

When the lectors finsh their readings, they say "The Word of the Lord.", to which we reply "Thanks be to God."

When the priest finishes the Gospel reading, he states, "The Gospel of the Lord.", to which we reply "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ."

That is all I was (trying to) doing.

The part I goofed is that "Blessed be God forever." Is a response given during the preparation of the Eucharist. Oops.