In today’s first reading from Acts 15, Peter and James stress the importance of God extending His covenant to the Gentiles. Rather than placing undue burden on the Gentiles by imposing on them the obligations of the Mosaic covenant to them, He calls all to a greater standard of following Christ. This standard involves moral precepts, such as avoiding idols and unlawful marriages, but it does not require the array of ritual prescriptions such as circumcision that the Jews needed to follow to remain close to God.
Jesus picks up this theme in the Gospel reading by drawing a connection. He says, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love” (John 15:9). He continues, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. . . . I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete” (John 15:10–11).
Jesus tells us of His love for us and His desire for us to remain in His love. He then takes it a step further, drawing a connection between love and morality: “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.” Just as the Gentiles are called to remain in the love of God by following certain moral precepts, so too are we called to remain in God’s love by keeping His commandments. As we follow the commandments of God, we experience Christ’s desire for His joy to be in us and our joy to be complete.
This may come as a surprise to those of us who are used to thinking of our relationship with God as something primarily characterized by a sense of connection and perhaps emotions. These are important elements of the relationship, but Jesus is telling us that there is a direct connection between the moral life and our relationship with Him. If we keep His commandments, then we will remain in His love. Although we are not expected to follow the ritual-ceremonial precepts of the Law of Moses, we are still held to a certain moral standard by the commandments of God. This entails things like the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and Jesus’ teaching on subjects like marriage, financial stewardship, and citizenship. Not to mention the extension of His teaching authority present in the teaching of the Church.
To remain in someone’s love, to remain in a proper relationship with a person, we seek to do things that will bring us closer to them. We avoid doing things that would distance ourselves from them. The amazing thing is that this attention to God’s commandments will bring us great joy. If we attend both of these elements of our relationship with God, we will experience great joy!
Daily Reading
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Reading 1 Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Wishing to determine the truthabout why Paul was being accused by the Jews,the commander freed himand ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to…
Saint of the Day
Saint Brendan
Irish missionary of the 6th century. Legendary for voyaging with monks in search of Terra Repromissionis, possibly discovering the New World.
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