Respond in Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine how our experience of Love is the motivation for our work in the vineyard of the Lord.

Consistent Life Ethic

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the Letter of the Apostles to the Delegates at Antioch.

* [15:13–35] Some scholars think that this apostolic decree suggested by James, the immediate leader of the Jerusalem community, derives from another historical occasion than the meeting in question. This seems to be the case if the meeting is the same as the one related in Gal 2:1–10. According to that account, nothing was imposed upon Gentile Christians in respect to Mosaic law; whereas the decree instructs Gentile Christians of mixed communities to abstain from meats sacrificed to idols and from blood-meats, and to avoid marriage within forbidden degrees of consanguinity and affinity (Lv 18), all of which practices were especially abhorrent to Jews. Luke seems to have telescoped two originally independent incidents here: the first a Jerusalem “Council” that dealt with the question of circumcision, and the second a Jerusalem decree dealing mainly with Gentile observance of dietary laws (see Acts 21:25 where Paul seems to be learning of the decree for the first time).

* [15:34] Some manuscripts add, in various wordings, “But Silas decided to remain there.” (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 57 contains a prayer for rescue from enemies.

* [Psalm 57] Each of the two equal strophes contains a prayer for rescue from enemies, accompanied by joyful trust in God (Ps 57:2–5, 7–11). The refrain prays that God be manifested as saving (Ps 57:6, 12). Ps 108 is nearly identical to part of this Psalm (cf. Ps 57:8–11, Ps 108:2–6). (Psalms, PSALM 57 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents the depth of love for friends.

* [15:13] For one’s friends: or: “those whom one loves.” In Jn 15:9–13a, the words for love are related to the Greek agapaō. In Jn 15:13b–15, the words for love are related to the Greek phileō. For John, the two roots seem synonymous and mean “to love”; cf. also Jn 21:15–17. The word philos is used here.

* [15:15] Slaves,friends: in the Old Testament, Moses (Dt 34:5), Joshua (Jos 24:29), and David (Ps 89:21) were called “servants” or “slaves of Yahweh”; only Abraham (Is 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7; cf. Jas 2:23) was called a “friend of God.” (John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Hopp comments that focusing on applying the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is indeed a determining factor of how well we love others. Through our interactions we are to demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is what loving others really looks like in real life. Thoughtful application of these elements is certainly the true test of how well we are loving others. The “fruit of the spirit” test must remain at the forefront of our thoughts, words, and actions every waking moment of our lives if we truly are seeking to love as Jesus has loved us.

Dear Heavenly Father, we genuinely want to live to serve you, to follow all your commands. On this day, help us to specifically focus upon your simple directive to love one another. Help us to solidify our focus upon the fruits of the Spirit, knowing that each of those characteristics is key to loving others as you have loved us. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen (Hopp, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Love encompasses the other commandments,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"This is my commandment." Have you then only one precept? This is sufficient, even if it is unique and so great. Nevertheless he also said, "Do not kill" (Matthew 19:18) because the one who loves does not kill. He said, "Do not steal," because the one who loves does even more-he gives. He said, "Do not lie," for the one who loves speaks the truth, against falsehood. "I give you a new commandment" (John 13:14). If you have not understood what "This is my commandment" means, let the apostle be summoned as interpreter and say, "The goal of his commandment is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). What is its binding force? It is that of which [the Lord] spoke, "Whatever you want others to do to you, you should do also" (Matthew 7:12)."Love one another" in accordance with this measure, "as I have loved you." That is not possible, for you are our Lord who loves your servants. But we who are equals, how can we love one another as you have loved us? Nevertheless, he has said it... His love is that he has called us his friends. If we were to give our life for you, would our love be equal to yours?... How then can what he said be explained, "As I have loved you"? "Let us die for each other," he said. As for us, we do not even want to live for one another! "If I, who am your Lord and God, die for you, how much more should you die for one another." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 19.13) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 15:12-17 comments that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was not the first time he laid down his life. Think of the countless times that he gave of himself to the crowds that followed him, even when he was tired. Or the patience he showed when his disciples didn’t understand what he was trying to teach them. We can follow in his footsteps in these ways as well.

It’s just a matter of stepping out and doing what God has put before you. And every time you say yes, you’ll find Jesus there, ready to pour out the grace you need to lay down your life. Each act of obedience to God’s call to love is an opportunity to grow closer to Jesus and to reflect his self-giving love.

“Jesus, give me the grace to say yes to your call to love, just where I am today.” (Meditation on John 15:12-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Acts, we have a report of the Council of Jerusalem for Gentile Christians that following Jewish Law or circumcision was not required. The report of this agreement letter in 1 Corinthians raises the question of when this decision was made. In John 15:13, Jesus describes great love as laying down one’s life for one’s friend. We have a freedom to be able to choose to be one with Christ. Friar Jude comments that the concept that some people aren’t called, known as predestination, does not fit the image of God presented by Jesus. God wants to live with all of us for all eternity in heaven.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Mirabai Starr who describes how the language of romance and erotic love is the universal experience of mystics across religious traditions.

In the Song of Songs, the lover sings of her search for her beloved:

At night on my bed I longed only for my love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
I must rise and go about the city,
the narrow streets and squares until I find my only love.
I sought him everywhere but I could not find him. (Song of Songs 3:1–2)(Rohr, 2026)

Starr describes longing as an essential aspect of nuptial mysticism:

Something in our souls recognizes this dynamic of exile and return. We remember that our source is Love. We suffer from the illusion of having been pulled up from our soul roots. We long to go home. We engage every practice we can get our hands on to restore our birthright of belonging. And when we attain those fleeting moments of union, we realize we were never two to begin with. We were always one and always will be one.

The language of love is like a spaceship that blasts us through the layers of illusion and delivers us to the truth of our essential connectedness with the Divine and our interconnectedness with all of creation. There’s nothing like a passage of mystical poetry, incandescent with the fire of longing and besotted by the wine of union, to evoke our own burning yearning and reveal our capacity for melding. [2] (Rohr, 2026)

We recognize that understanding of Love in Jesus is mystical and we implore the Spirit to reveal this love in our interactions with the people and places in our environment.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/15? 

Hopp, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-8-2026 

John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15? 

Meditation on John 15:12-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/08/1560393/ 

Psalms, PSALM 57 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/57 

Rohr, R. (2026, May 6). The Blueprint of Our Soul. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-book-of-devotion/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Called You Friends. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 8, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

 

No Greater Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine difficulties we may have with the tension between tradition, Law, and the depth to which Jesus calls us to greater love.

Expressing Great Love

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents the Letter of the Apostles.

* [15:13–35] Some scholars think that this apostolic decree suggested by James, the immediate leader of the Jerusalem community, derives from another historical occasion than the meeting in question. This seems to be the case if the meeting is the same as the one related in Gal 2:1–10. According to that account, nothing was imposed upon Gentile Christians in respect to Mosaic law; whereas the decree instructs Gentile Christians of mixed communities to abstain from meats sacrificed to idols and from blood-meats, and to avoid marriage within forbidden degrees of consanguinity and affinity (Lv 18), all of which practices were especially abhorrent to Jews. Luke seems to have telescoped two originally independent incidents here: the first a Jerusalem “Council” that dealt with the question of circumcision, and the second a Jerusalem decree dealing mainly with Gentile observance of dietary laws (see Acts 21:25 where Paul seems to be learning of the decree for the first time). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 57 is a prayer for rescue from enemies.

* [Psalm 57] Each of the two equal strophes contains a prayer for rescue from enemies, accompanied by joyful trust in God (Ps 57:2–5, 7–11). The refrain prays that God be manifested as saving (Ps 57:6, 12). Ps 108 is nearly identical to part of this Psalm (cf. Ps 57:8–11, Ps 108:2–6). (Psalms, PSALM 57 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John is from the Discourse on the union of Jesus with his disciples.

* [15:13] For one’s friends: or: “those whom one loves.” In Jn 15:9–13a, the words for love are related to the Greek agapaō. In Jn 15:13b–15, the words for love are related to the Greek phileō. For John, the two roots seem synonymous and mean “to love”; cf. also Jn 21:15–17. The word philos is used here.

* [15:15] Slaves,friends: in the Old Testament, Moses (Dt 34:5), Joshua (Jos 24:29), and David (Ps 89:21) were called “servants” or “slaves of Yahweh”; only Abraham (Is 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7; cf. Jas 2:23) was called a “friend of God.” (John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mirielle Leonard comments that we should try to be Christ’s love in the world.

What does it look like to love in such a way?  In marriage, we are called to emulate Christ-like love towards each other. A lofty goal, and one I am sure no one completely achieves. But if I tried to love my husband today as Christ would love him, what might look different? Would I have more grace? Would I be more willing to serve? We are called to love our spouse like Christ loved the church, and Christ loved the church so much he died for it! Beyond spousal love, we are also tasked with loving our neighbor. The neighbor you get along with, but perhaps most especially, the neighbor you don’t.

Today my prayer begins with all married people, that we may constantly strive to serve our spouses in love, to obey Christ’s commands, and to continually work to be closer to each other and God. But for all people, as we are called to love our most challenging neighbors, please fill us with your Christ-like love that knows no bounds, so that we may be your light to those that need it most. (Leonard, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes Love encompasses the other commandments, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"This is my commandment." Have you then only one precept? This is sufficient, even if it is unique and so great. Nevertheless he also said, "Do not kill" (Matthew 19:18) because the one who loves does not kill. He said, "Do not steal," because the one who loves does even more-he gives. He said, "Do not lie," for the one who loves speaks the truth, against falsehood. "I give you a new commandment" (John 13:14). If you have not understood what "This is my commandment" means, let the apostle be summoned as interpreter and say, "The goal of his commandment is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). What is its binding force? It is that of which [the Lord] spoke, "Whatever you want others to do to you, you should do also" (Matthew 7:12)."Love one another" in accordance with this measure, "as I have loved you." That is not possible, for you are our Lord who loves your servants. But we who are equals, how can we love one another as you have loved us? Nevertheless, he has said it... His love is that he has called us his friends. If we were to give our life for you, would our love be equal to yours?... How then can what he said be explained, "As I have loved you"? "Let us die for each other," he said. As for us, we do not even want to live for one another! "If I, who am your Lord and God, die for you, how much more should you die for one another." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 19.13) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 15:12-17 comments that the “command” Jesus gives us to obey is of a different nature entirely. “This I command you: love one another” (John 15:17, emphasis added). Loving is not a set of tasks we can do and be finished with. It’s an attitude, an outlook that underlies everything we do. It’s our lifelong mission to learn how to love as Jesus loves, to cooperate with grace and become like him.

In the end, it’s our relationship with Jesus—his love for us and our love for him—that moves us to become more loving to the people around us. It’s our deepening experience of his presence and his companionship—however we receive it—that softens our hearts and makes us more able to obey his command to love one another as fully and unconditionally as he loves us. And as St. John once said, “his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Not because they’re always easy, but because they are born out of love—and because we have become Jesus’ friends!

“Jesus, thank you for calling me your friend. I want to grow closer and closer to you so I can love as you love.” (Meditation on John 15:12-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the passage from Acts, the conclusion of the Council of Jerusalem, declares that Gentiles did not have to become Jews. This is cited as a decision of the Holy Spirit that guides the Church in its conduct. In the Gospel John, the command to Love one another is an example of the vertical and horizontal aspects of faith and Jesus' mission to reveal who God is and what He wants of us. Friar Jude notes how Great Love may be strongest after an inappropriate response that is Love not expecting a return.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the importance of Tradition, which includes a legacy of wisdom, beliefs, practices, prayers, and rituals. We must build on the common “communion of saints” throughout the ages. This is the inherited fruit and gift, which is sometimes called the “Wisdom Tradition.” It is not always inherited simply by belonging to one group or religion. It largely depends on how informed, mature, and experienced our particular teachers are.

Here is my succinct summary of this deep and recurring Wisdom Tradition:  

There is a Divine Reality underneath and inherent in the world of things.  

There is in the human soul a natural capacity, similarity, and longing for this Divine Reality.  

The final goal of all existence is union with Divine Reality. [2]  

I trust and hope that my writing and teaching contain more than my own little bit of experience and truth, precisely because I have found some serious validation in both the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures, along with the testimonies of many other witnesses along the way. I am trying to connect the dots within and between a few thousand years of Jewish and Christian interpretation, mystics, saints, church councils, friends of God, theologians, and philosophers of the ecumenical Body of Christ. This is the force field of the Holy Spirit that we continue to participate in whenever we are living, thinking, and praying in loving union with God and God’s work in this world. I only have courage to talk the way I do because these are not just my ideas! [3]  (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we struggle with supporting actions that testify to expressing “No Greater Love” in an environment frequently limited by human understanding and laws.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/15?22 

John, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15?12 

Leonard, M. (2025, May 23). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/052325.html 

Meditation on John 15:12-17. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/05/23/1282834/ 

Psalms, PSALM 57 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/57?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Broad Wisdom Tradition. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-broad-wisdom-tradition/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Called You Friends. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may23