April 21, 2021, Wednesday
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter (White)
Optional Memorial of Saint Anselm, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 275
Reading I
Acts 8:1b-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Responsorial Psalm
66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7aR. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
See Jn 6:40R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Jn 6:35-40Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
REFLECTION:
“He comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” We often makes promises. We don’t always keep them, but what a miracle of grace when we do. With Jesus we can rest assured that he will be faithful to his promises, like the one he made at the end of Matthew’s gospel: “I will be with you always until the end of time.” Mt.28:20. Most of us are fortunate not to experience hunger or thirst. But could it be that at times neither do we experience spiritual thirst of which the psalms speak: “O God, you are my God, for your I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry weary land without water. Ps.63.” A line worth repeating again and again. As we do, so our desire for God increases and our heart opens to receive God’s gifts.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you shower me here with an abundance of promises. You are the bread of life for us: you will meet all our deepest needs. What needs? We hunger and thirst for happiness and joy; we want to be welcomed by the Father; we want to live eternally. And all we have to do is to give ourselves over to you for our needs to be satisfied. You are faithful to your promises, because promises are the language of love. Thank you!
Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
REFLECTION:
“He comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” We often makes promises. We don’t always keep them, but what a miracle of grace when we do. With Jesus we can rest assured that he will be faithful to his promises, like the one he made at the end of Matthew’s gospel: “I will be with you always until the end of time.” Mt.28:20. Most of us are fortunate not to experience hunger or thirst. But could it be that at times neither do we experience spiritual thirst of which the psalms speak: “O God, you are my God, for your I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry weary land without water. Ps.63.” A line worth repeating again and again. As we do, so our desire for God increases and our heart opens to receive God’s gifts.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you shower me here with an abundance of promises. You are the bread of life for us: you will meet all our deepest needs. What needs? We hunger and thirst for happiness and joy; we want to be welcomed by the Father; we want to live eternally. And all we have to do is to give ourselves over to you for our needs to be satisfied. You are faithful to your promises, because promises are the language of love. Thank you!
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