Thursday 22 May 2025
St Rita of Cascia
Acts 15:7-21. Proclaim his marvellous deeds to all the nations – Ps 95(96):1-3, 10. John 15:9-11.
Salvations comes through receiving the Good News
In our first reading today, we read about the culmination of the first crisis in the Church. As the earliest church began to grow and spread, it faced a question of how Gentiles fit in. Some held that salvation was available only to Gentiles willing to effectively become Jewish. Saint Peter however, reflecting on his experiences under the guidance of the Spirit, made another case. He argued that for both Jew and Gentile salvation comes not through the law but receiving the Good News and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In essence Gentiles could become a part of God’s story with Israel through Jesus. Critically, contrary to readings which have caused much damage through the centuries, this does not suggest a ‘replacement’ by which Christians supplant the Jews as God’s people. God remains faithful to his people, even as he extends salvation through them to the world.
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