Faith Daily | 8 May 2021
PRAYER of the DAY - EASTER FIVE APBA p513
Saving God,
who called your Church to witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be reconciled to you;
through him who died for us and rose again
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
GOSPEL for the Day: John 15: 18-21
18”If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Michelle Chapman
No one wants to be hated, but there are times when people are hated simply because of their beliefs. Being hated is harsh, debilitating and distressing and can induce fear in peoples’ hearts. Jesus calls us to grow strong in faith and love every day and not to fear the world, worldly opinions and worldly people.
The reading today clearly points to negative events and emotions that can happen to believers who obey the teachings of Jesus in this world. But this world is transient, our true home is in heaven with Jesus. When Billy Graham died in USA, there was a very large billboard with his picture in his home state with the simple words “He has gone home”. Our home is in heaven, this world will fall away at God’s appointed time.
1 John 4: 7-21 tells us about God’s love and ours. God is love, the ability to love one another comes from God who loved us first. V15 says “if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. V16 says “we know and rely on the love God has for us”. God’s love can overcome hatred and persecution, both in us and in others.
There are people all over the world who live with hatred and persecution because of their faith, many are incarcerated because of their faith, people are homeless, starving and dying for their faith. We are called to always love and not to hate, to pray daily for others who live with hatred and persecution and to pray for those who hate and persecute God’s people. Remember Saul who become Paul, from persecutor to powerful witness to God’s love. Paul’s life changed because God loved him first.
FINAL PRAYER: Donal Harrington ‘Our vocation to love’
We bless you, Lord, and we praise you,
for your love is everlasting.
We thank you for the love we have experienced in life.
We bless you for the opportunities we have had
to enrich the lives of others.
We acknowledge the love that has sustained us
in sad and difficult times.
Teach us to love well
and to overcome the obstacles in our own hearts.
May our love be for others the aroma
of your boundless and inclusive love.
May it increase the peace in the world.
Amen