In quei giorni, agli apostoli e agli anziani, con tutta la Chiesa, parve bene di scegliere alcuni di loro e di inviarli ad Antiòchia insieme a Paolo e Bàrnaba: Giuda, chiamato Barsabba, e Sila, uomini di grande autorità tra i fratelli.
E inviarono tramite loro questo scritto: «Gli apostoli e gli anziani, vostri fratelli, ai fratelli di Antiòchia, di Siria e di Cilicia, che provengono dai pagani, salute! Abbiamo saputo che alcuni di noi, ai quali non avevamo dato nessun incarico, sono venuti a turbarvi con discorsi che hanno sconvolto i vostri animi. Ci è parso bene perciò, tutti d’accordo, di scegliere alcune persone e inviarle a voi insieme ai nostri carissimi Bàrnaba e Paolo, uomini che hanno rischiato la loro vita per il nome del nostro Signore JesusChrist. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you these same things orally. Indeed, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, not to impose any other obligation on you than these necessary things: to abstain from meat offered to idols, from blood, from animals strangled and from illegitimate unions. You will do well to stay away from these things. You look fine!".
So they took their leave and went down to Antioch; having assembled the assembly, they delivered the letter. When they read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement it gave.
“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. Nobody has a love greater than this: to give his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father mine I made known to you.
You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and I have made you so that you go and bear fruit and your fruit remains; because everything you ask the Father in my name, grant it to you. This I command you: love one another."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
These words, spoken at the Last Supper, sum up the whole message of Jesus; rather, they sum up all that He has done: Jesus he gave his life for his friends. Friends who didn't understand him, who abandoned, betrayed and denied him at the crucial moment. This tells us that He loves us even though we are not worthy of His love: so he loves us Jesus! (Regina coeli, 10 May 2015)
