The Scriptures at a Glance:

First Reading: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also.

 Psalm: Psalm 98
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

 Second Reading: 1 John 4:7-10
Let us love one another, because love is of God.

 Gospel: John 15:9-17
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

 Reflections:
The passage from Acts before today’s first reading describes a vision Peter experiences, in which God tells him that all foods are acceptable to eat; no longer are some unclean. He later realizes that the vision is a sign that all people are “clean,” Gentiles as well as Jews. All are called to have faith in Jesus. Not all of the early Christians understood. The Jewish Christians were shocked that the Holy Spirit would give such gifts as speaking in tongues to Gentiles–especially Gentiles who had not been baptized.
The distinction between Gentile and Jewish Christians doesn’t seem very important today. But we still need to follow St. Peter’s example of sharing our faith in Jesus. We seem to be more interested in converting other Christians than in bringing non-Christians to the faith. Does that mean we should drag any non-believers we meet to church on Sunday? Should we brag about how much we love God?
Today’s Gospel gives us a hint as to what we can do to bring others to Christ. Jesus makes it sound simple: “Love one another as I love you” (John 15:12). Remember that God’s love for us comes first. That’s why the Gentiles in the first reading received the gifts of the Spirit before they were baptized. The second reading from John tells us that love is not people loving God; it’s that God loved us first, enough that God’s own Son was sent to die for us. We may think that we have chosen to love and follow Jesus, but as the Gospel tells us, Jesus chose us before we ever chose him. So maybe that part about loving others as Jesus loves us is not so much about being willing to die for those we love. It may just be our willingness to love others without requiring that they love us first.
How can we do that? I can introduce myself to someone I see in church who is new to the parish. I can offer to help the poor without waiting for the pastor to beg. I can be courteous to other drivers, letting them go in front of me in heavy traffic. I can make it a priority to see what I can do for others instead of wondering what they can do for me. Perhaps part of our daily prayer can be asking God to show us who needs our love today.
Tom Schmidt, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.