Acts 10:25-26, 34-35,44-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17
"The believers of Jewish descent, (...) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles" (Acts 10:45). From the Jewish point of view, the world was divided into the Jews - the chosen people of God, Gentiles considered impure by the Jews, and the proselytes - the converts to Judaism who underwent circumcision and kept all the requirements of the Mosaic law. The gift of the Holy Spirit was promised by Christ to the apostles. It makes us children of God through adoption and allows us to call God, "ABBA, Father." The circumcised believers experienced this gift on the day of Pentecost as the fulfillment of Christ’s promise. Today, however, to their astonishment, they witness the day of Pentecost among the Gentiles.
"Now I realize how true it is that God treats all people equally" (Acts 10:34). To arrive at such a conclusion, the apostle needed God's help. The vision he experienced (Acts 10:10-16) made him realize that he, as a Jew, should not consider people of other nations unclean (Acts 10:28). This realization also influenced the content of the message he delivered in the house of Cornelius. He did not quote the Scriptures as in his first sermon to the people of Judea (Acts 2:14-36) and did not try to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Instead, he presented Jesus as the "Lord of all" (Acts 10:36) and emphasized above all the miracles Jesus had done, "because God was with him" (Acts 10:38). Finally, he proclaimed Christ’s death and resurrection, and the fact that it is Jesus - thank God it is Jesus and not someone else - who is the judge of the living and the dead, and that in his name we have forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:42-43).
The fact that Saint Peter was sent to a Gentile to announce the Gospel of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all the listeners is a sign of God's love. "God is love" and the deepest manifestation of this love was sending the Son of God into the world (John 3:16). The purpose of Christ’s coming was twofold: (1) to redeem us from sin and death and (2) to make us participate in the divine life. The first has been achieved through Jesus’ death (1 John 4:10) and the second through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit and baptism in the name of Jesus was the beginning of a new life for Cornelius and his entire family.
God’s love for us always comes first: "This is love, that we did not love God, but He loved us" (1 John 4:10), "while we were still sinners" (Romans 5: 8). God’s love is also manifested in the election. “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). He chose the apostles as the pillars of the Church and Cornelius as one of the first fruits of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Our love for God and our turning to God is always a response to His love and His calling.
"Beloved, let us love each other, for love comes from God" (1 John 4:7). Peter’s realization that nobody is impure and unclean (Acts 10:28) and that “God accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right” (Acts 10:35) transformed him. Motivated by love, the apostle goes to the house of a Gentile and preaches the Gospel. It is the love of Christ that urges us to preach the Gospel (2 Cor. 5:14). Thus, telling others about God's love for all of us manifested in Jesus who suffered for our salvation, is a sign of true love for our neighbors. Do you, brother and sister, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others?