It was arranged that they should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders for this matter.
From the Acts of the Apostles Acts 15:1-6
In those days, some who came [to Antioch] from Judea taught their brothers: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved".
As Paul and Barnabas disagreed and argued heatedly against them, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders over the matter. They therefore, provided with the necessary by the Church, crossed Phenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the pagans and arousing great joy in all the brothers.
Then arriving in Jerusalem, they were received by the Church, by the apostles and the elders, and they reported what great things God aveva compiuto per mezzo loro.
But some of the sect of the gods stood up Pharisees, who had become believers, stating: "It is necessary to circumcise them and order them to observe the law of Moses". Then the apostles and the elders gathered to examine this problem.
What joy, when they told me: «We will go to the house of the Lord!». Our feet are already firm at your gates, Jerusalem! R.
Jerusalem is built as a united and compact city. It is there that the tribes ascend, the tribes of the Lord. R.
There are the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Ask for peace for Jerusalem: let those who love you live safe. R.
Gospel acclamation
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Abide in me and I in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me bears much fruit. (Jn 15,4a.5b)
Alleluia.
Gospel
Whoever remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit.
The Word of May 10, 2023 4
From the Gospel according to John Jn 15:1-8
At that time, he said Jesus to his disciples: “I am the true vine and the Father mine is the farmer. Every branch that doesn't bear fruit in me, he cuts it, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it so that it bears more fruit. You are already pure, because of the word that I have announced to you.
Rimanete in me e io in voi. Come il tralcio non può portare frutto da se stesso se non rimane nella vite, così neanche voi se non rimanete in me. Io sono la vite, voi i tralci. Chi rimane in me, e io in lui, porta molto frutto, perché senza di me non potete far nulla.
Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; then they collect it, throw it into the fire and burn it.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask what you want and it will be done for you. In this is glorified the Father mine: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples".
Word of the Lord.
Blessed Columba Marmion (1858-1923)
abbot
The spirit of abandonment
"Apart from me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5)
La nostra santità è di ordine essenzialmente soprannaturale. Tutti gli sforzi uniti della natura non possono produrre un atto soprannaturale, un atto che sia in qualche modo proporzionato al nostro fine, che è la visione beatificante dell’adorabile Trinità. (…)
But God, carries out all his works with infinite wisdom, he has given us in grace the means to realize his divine designs in us. Without grace – grace that comes from God – siamo incapaci di fare alcunché per arrivare al fine soprannaturale; S. Paolo ci dice che senza di lei non possiamo avere un buon pensiero che ci sia contato come degno dell’eterna beatitudine (cfr 2Co, 3,5).
It is the echo of the word of Christ: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5), you cannot reach the supreme end; you cannot become deranged. JesusChrist himself commented on this truth: he told us that he is the vine and we are the branches; in order to produce fruit, we must remain united to him by grace so that, taking the supernatural lymph from him, we can bring Father frutti graditi.
From this you see the need for the soul not to turn away from God, fonte della grazia senza la quale non possiamo nulla. Piuttosto, noi dobbiamo donarci senza riserve a lui, poiché “con questa grazia possiamo tutto” (…).
There is no right work, however banal or ordinary, which, done under the inspiration of grace, cannot contribute to making us reach this supreme exaltation which is the beatific vision; since “everything contributes to the good of those who love God, who were called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
If one is intimately united with Jesus, enjoys the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which – as Saint Paul tells us – are «love, joy, peace, magnanimity, benevolence, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control" (Gal5.22).
These are the gifts that come to us if we stick together Jesus; e di conseguenza una persona che è così unita a Lui fa tanto bene al prossimo e alla società, è una persona cristiana.
From these attitudes, in fact, one recognizes whether one is true Christian, come dai frutti si riconosce l’albero.
The fruits of this profound union with Jesus sono meravigliosi: tutta la nostra persona viene trasformata dalla grazia dello Spirito: anima, intelligenza, volontà, affetti, e anche il corpo, perché noi siamo unità di spirito e corpo.
We receive a new way of being, the life of Christ becomes ours: we can think like him, act like him, see the world and things with the eyes of Jesus.
Consequently, we can love our brothers and sisters, starting with the poorest and most suffering, as he did, and love them with his heart and thus bring fruits of goodness, charity and peace into the world. (Regina caeli, 3 May 2015)
