Today's readings have just one message, the message that led Jesus to the Cross: "Love one another". The Cross puts an end to all division, the cross says all hatred and betrayal of each other stops here.

In the first reading we see that, guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostles and disciples were assured that it seemed good to God, as well as to them, to lay upon the converts no other burden than the things which were necessary. This may be a similar challenge for us even today. We must strive to serve God in our unconditional service to the needy, without being in any way self-conscious or self-centred about it.

Today's Gospel reading emphasizes the commandment of love. Love makes the lover and the beloved more truly human. Following Jesus is not merely a religion but a personal relationship of love and loyalty to the one who has loved us more than we can imagine. The test of our response to that love and loyalty remains the simple, profound and difficult command: love one another.