The Battle for Belonging: Who Gets to Decide You're In? | Daily Readings | May 21, 2025

May 21, 2025 - Daily Catholic Lectionary Readings for Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

"Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved." With these words, the early church faced its first major identity crisis. What truly makes someone part of God's family? Physical markings? Cultural practices? Or something else entirely? The battle that erupted in Antioch and Jerusalem continues today – we've just changed the boundary markers. Jesus cuts through the debate with a revolutionary image: "I am the vine, you are the branches." Connection to him, not conformity to human standards, determines true belonging.

Our reflection explores:
1. How the circumcision controversy nearly fractured Christianity at its birth
2. Why religious people keep creating new requirements beyond faith in Christ
3. What happens when we confuse cultural expressions with spiritual essentials
4. How Jesus' vine metaphor revolutionizes our understanding of belonging

Readings:
Acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5; John 15:1-8

Timeline:
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Reading I
01:19 Psalm Response
03:30 Gospel
04:26 Reflection

Perfect for anyone questioning where they fit in God's family, struggling with religious gatekeeping, or seeking to understand what truly constitutes Christian identity beyond cultural markers.

#TrueBelonging #JesusTheVine #BeyondReligiousGatekeeping #WednesdayReflection #FifthWeekEaster