May 15, 2009 Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Readings: ACTS 15: 22-31 Psalm 57: 8-10, 12 John 15: 12-17
Psalm Response: " I will give You thanks among the peoples, O Lord"

As the Mother Church sent word to the other communities around the area, today, the Church Universal, the Catholic Church, from time to time will call its leaders together to mull over current problems and understandings to discuss, analyze and decide, in the present situation, what measures must be taken. They then vote to accept and promulgate the decision to the world.
Just as in the days of the Apostles the decision wasn't unannimous today's councils depend on a 2/3 majortity to the write to the outlying Churches their decisions.
In our readings for today, the Apostles, led by the first Pope, Peter, considered the propsals of Paul and Barnabus and others in their company, and, after deciding, wrote to the other communities expressing their decision and some of the prohibitions and permissions.
Delegates were selected to take the letter back to the communities to assure them of the decisions binding resolutions to their problems.
In our day, some of the decisions of the VaticanII council didn't sey too well with what we thought were traditions set in stone. Although the council didn't start any new dogma, it clarified the old and confirmed some of the earlier councils decisions by making clarifications no one could misunderstand.
They formulated their decisions in dogmatic terms and promulgated them to the Church in disaspora; that's us.

We are obliged to give obedience to the decisions with full faith the Holy Spirit doesn't make mistakes!

Our Lord, in some of HIs final words to His disciples didn't write His plan for making us into a unit of like seeing peopel. However, He told them His father's will was for them to love one another as they were loved! He didn't force the plan on them as slaves but as friends who would understand and agree with the sense He intended.
We are also friends, if we abide in His love and spread the love to every living soul!