Reflection
Acts 15: 7-21
Psalm 96
John 15: 9-11
Pretty simple and clear gospel today – “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” There you go. God has made it pretty dog gone clear – He wants you and me to be happy. And as we see in our reading from Acts, God wants that for everyone.
In our reading from Acts, we hear St. Peter and St. James clarifying that God’s love is for Jews and Gentiles alike. The people of Israel were the people who were awaiting the promise of God to send a Messiah. God did send a Messiah but not just for Jews, Jesus clarified that He came for all people so that all people may be filled with joy.
When we strip away all other things, when we let go of all of the things of this world, when our lives are all said and done, there is one thing left that God truly wants for us – eternal happiness. Well, I guess that gives us license to go do whatever we want to do – but alas! Not even close.
Jesus tells us that the way to joy is to live within His commandments. How? Love God before you love anything else, AND, always want the good for others, really – all others. Doesn’t much matter what our differences may be, we can always desire the good for other people. Now, what is “good”? Living within the realm of the commandments of Jesus. Be good to one another. Smile at someone who drives you up a wall. Avoid screaming at your kids but massage their behavior into that which God desires.
And at the beginning of each day, smile at God. At the end of each day, smile at God.