Daily Catholic Lectio
Thu, 22 May ‘25
Fifth Week of Easter – Thursday
Acts 15:7–21. John 15:9–11
Abide in Love
In the Gospel Reading, we heard yesterday the seventh and final “I AM” statement spoken by Jesus: “I am the true vine.” Presenting himself as the vine, Jesus invites his disciples to remain in him, to be united with him.
He declares: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.” The love Jesus has for his disciples is expressed through humble service—washing their feet—and ultimately fulfilled on the cross. It is into this self-giving, complete love that Jesus invites his followers to abide.
In John’s Gospel, “to abide” means to remain, to dwell, to stay rooted and to live. But how do we abide in this love?
Jesus himself gives the answer: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” These commandments are not simply the Ten Commandments but the totality of Jesus’ words—his teachings, his invitations, his way of life. To abide in his love means to live out his word.
How do we know that we are abiding in Jesus’ love? The measure is joy—“complete joy,” as Jesus says.
In the First Reading, we witness the Council of Jerusalem, where the apostles, including Peter and James, speak with clarity and openness regarding a key question: Should Gentile converts be required to undergo circumcision?
Peter affirms that God has made no distinction between them and us. “Why put God to the test by placing a yoke on their necks?” he asks. James continues, “Let us not trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God.”
Their concern is not to place burdens, but to remove them. Their openness stems from the fact that they are already abiding in the love of Christ—and from this love flows their wisdom, inclusivity, and pastoral concern.
When we abide in the love of Jesus, we begin to see as he sees and act as he acts. We become sharers in his joy, and transmitters of that joy to others.
In short, the sign that we abide in Christ’s love is not only obedience to his word, but the deep joy that fills us and radiates from us.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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