Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
May 7, 2021
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 289
Reading I
The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.”
Reflection: LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Unlike the Ten Commandments that are imperative in nature and writing style, Jesus presents the Beatitudes in the New Testament that are with a tone a proposition. The only time we hear Jesus using the word, 'commandment,' in its strictest sense is within the entire discourse on love. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Unlike the evangelist Mathew, who portrays Jesus as the New Moses, the evangelist John presents Jesus as the teacher par excellence. The composition and the structure of John's gospel attest to this fact. The promise that Jesus made to his disciples is not just for a day or for an event, it was an everlasting covenant. It is the promise to accomplish the mission entrusted to them in the real world, an abiding love presence of Jesus with his disciples. This seal of love would serve as a reminder for the disciples to recognize their Master and render a fitting service to the gospel in the world. Furthermore, the discourse on love opens to the notion of the sacrament of reconciliation and highlights the dignity and the demands of the ministerial priesthood. This has been the foundation for the growth of the Church over the past two thousand years and continues to be the hinge upon which our Christian/Catholic faith subsists. Despite the presence of the powers of the world, the assurance of Jesus must take precedence if you and I are to fully commit ourselves to the commandment of Love that Jesus urges us to embrace.