Receive The Holy Spirit (PENTECOST SUNDAY - A)

MAY 28, 2023 SUNDAY

PENTECOST SUNDAY 

Mass during the Day (Red)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 63

Reading I

Acts 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,

they were all in one place together.

And suddenly there came from the sky

a noise like a strong driving wind,

and it filled the entire house in which they were.

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in different tongues,

as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,

but they were confused

because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,

“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?

We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,

inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,

Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,

Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,

as well as travelers from Rome,

both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,

yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues

of the mighty acts of God.”

Responsorial Psalm

104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

    O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!

How manifold are your works, O LORD!

    the earth is full of your creatures.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;

    may the LORD be glad in his works!

Pleasing to him be my theme;

    I will be glad in the LORD.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

If you take away their breath, they perish

    and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created,

    and you renew the face of the earth.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading II

1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 

there are different forms of service but the same Lord;

there are different workings but the same God

who produces all of them in everyone.

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit

is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts,

and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,

so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,

whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,

and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

 

Sequence

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, come!

And from your celestial home

    Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!

Come, source of all our store!

    Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;

You, the soul’s most welcome guest;

    Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;

Grateful coolness in the heat;

    Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,

Shine within these hearts of yours,

    And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,

Nothing good in deed or thought,

    Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;

On our dryness pour your dew;

    Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;

Melt the frozen, warm the chill;

    Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore

And confess you, evermore

    In your sevenfold gift descend;

Give them virtue’s sure reward;

Give them your salvation, Lord;

    Give them joys that never end. Amen.

    Alleluia.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,

and whose sins you retain are retained.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Here is Jesus, nearing his own death, and he is pouring out the depth of his love for his followers. He spoke these words at the Last Supper, as he gathered with his disciples, sharing life with them. His words and actions comforted and strengthened them in ways that only the Holy Spirit might help them to understand.

The love that the God the Father has for Jesus is the love Jesus has for each of us! Can I ask for this grace, of knowing and experiencing deep down, this tremendous love?

PRAYER:

Jesus still speaks to us: prayer helps us to grow in love, in friendship, in understanding of the ways of God. The Spirit assists us, mediating God’s message, helping us to recognise how our way of living conforms to what God asks of us and revealing how it does not. Lord, strengthen my ability to receive and listen to your Spirit, to remember that your Spirit speaks your word to me.

The Great Commission (ASCENSION SUNDAY - A)

MAY 21, 2023 SUNDAY
SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 58

Reading 1
Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with the them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Alleluia
Mt 28:19a, 20b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Today, as we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of Jesus, I am invited to reflect on this event. What does it mean for me? Perhaps, like some of the disciples in today’s Gospel, I am doubtful. I talk to Jesus very honestly about my doubts, knowing he will understand. I notice that he gives the same mission to those who believe and those who doubt.

PRAYER:

Lord, you terrify me with this command: "Go and teach all nations." You were talking to eleven men, without education, money or influence, in a despised province of the Roman Empire. But they obeyed you, because they knew you were with them. And today Christians are the largest body of believers on this planet. Today's preaching is different. We are educated, sometimes too well. It is harder than ever to make our voice heard. Yet your word goes out potentially to all nations, and you are still with us.

The Spirit Of Truth

MAY 17, 2023 WEDNESDAY 
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 293

Reading 1
Acts 17:15, 22—18:1

After Paul's escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
"You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, 'To an Unknown God.'
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being,'
as even some of your poets have said,
'For we too are his offspring.'
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will 'judge the world
with justice' through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead."
When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
"We should like to hear you on this some other time."
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:

R. Alleluia.

Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.

Alleluia.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 14:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will ask the Father
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Here is Jesus, nearing his own death, and he is pouring out the depth of his love for his followers. He spoke these words at the Last Supper, as he gathered with his disciples, sharing life with them. His words and actions comforted and strengthened them in ways that only the Holy Spirit might help them to understand.

The love that the God the Father has for Jesus is the love Jesus has for each of us! Can I ask for this grace, of knowing and experiencing deep down, this tremendous love?

PRAYER:

Jesus still speaks to us: prayer helps us to grow in love, in friendship, in understanding of the ways of God. The Spirit assists us, mediating God’s message, helping us to recognize how our way of living conforms to what God asks of us and revealing how it does not. Lord, strengthen my ability to receive and listen to your Spirit, to remember that your Spirit speaks your word to me.

The Ruler Of This World Has Been Condemned

MAY 16, 2023 TUESDAY
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 292

Reading 1
Acts 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
"Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved."
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
See Jn 16:7, 13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

I notice how often Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit during this time after Easter, and as we approach the Ascension. The coming of the Spirit of Truth to us is clearly of great importance to Jesus. How important is it to me? Do I consciously rely on the grace of my confirmation, and recognise the reality of the Holy Spirit in my life?

PRAYER:

As I look at my life, I pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to shed light, to bring truth and to be the consolation that Jesus promises. 

When The Advocate Comes

MAY 15, 2023 MONDAY
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)
FEAST OF SAINT ISIDORE, THE FARMER 
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 291

Reading 1
Acts 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 15:26b, 27a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:26—16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you."
 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus is telling us these things “that our faith may not be shaken”. The Holy Spirit has come to strengthen our conviction, to keep us secure and at peace. “And all shall be well”.

We are to be his witnesses. Not necessarily by striking words. Remember the though attributed to St Francis of Assisi, that we are to preach by our lives, only occasionally in words.

PRAYER:

To testify and bear witness to something, I must have personal experience, so that I can say: ‘This is true, and I know it.’ Lord, I have not been with you from the beginning. I am one of those who did not see and yet believed. Show me yourself, strengthen your spirit in me, so that my life and my words may testify to you. 

The Spirit Of Truth (SIXTH SUNDAY EASTER - A)

MAY 14, 2023 SUNDAY
Sixth Sunday of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 55

Reading 1
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17

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 or crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John,
who went down and prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

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.

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
1 Pt 3:15-18

Beloved:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear,
so that, when you are maligned,
those who defame your good conduct in Christ
may themselves be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Alleluia
Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus is aware that the imminent loss of his physical presence will be a big blow for his disciples. He reassures them “‘I will not leave you orphaned”. The loss of his physical presence will be made up to them by the sending of the Holy Spirit, who will be with them permanently.

Love is evident in action and any activity can be tiring. I do not need to rely on my own resources but turn to God who promises to help me, ready to send the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER:

Like a bargain-hunter or a bird-spotter, I train my heart to recognize the ways of God. In this time of quiet God teaches me to see my world differently; I don’t act in it alone but am accompanied by God’s ever-present Spirit.

If The World Hates You

MAY 13, 2023 SATURDAY
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 290

Reading 1
Acts 16:1-10

Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 5

R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:

R. Alleluia.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Col 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
'No slave is greater than his master.'
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me."
 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Not everyone accepts Jesus, which was his experience from the start. Opposition to him took him to death, and love took him from death to resurrection. Persecution and similar opposition is the experience of many of his followers. Goodness sometimes offends people; evil can seem for a while to be stronger than love, but the message of Jesus is that love conquers all.

PRAYER:

I bring any aspect of my life in which I feel rejected or unappreciated before the Lord, considering whether my treatment was because of my being a disciple. I stand beside Jesus who knows how I feel.

Love One Another

MAY 12, 2023 FRIDAY
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 289

Reading 1
Acts 15:22-31

The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
"The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.'"
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 57:8-9, 10 and 12

R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.

R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!

R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 15:15b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

A sign of love is that we share everything with “the beloved”. Jesus holds nothing back from his disciples; he shares with them everything, even his most intimate secrets that were revealed to him by his Father, thereby giving them the dignity and privilege of being friends. He would even lay down his life for their well-being.

Jesus still invites us today into friendship with him – He wants to reveal even more things the Father has revealed to Him.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are inviting me, choosing me, to be your intimate friend, to go out in your name and to make an impact on this precious world, and bear lasting fruit.

Remain In My Love

MAY 11, 2023 THURSDAY
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 288

Reading 1
Acts 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
"My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they."
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
After they had fallen silent, James responded,
"My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:
After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
known from of old.
It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10

R.(3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.
"I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The deepest joys and satisfactions of life have to do with our experience of loving and being loved. Parents live forever in the atmosphere of the love they always have for their children. Love of friends is strong and lasts. Love enables us to die for others, love spends itself for another. Only love lasts as a motive for any good we want to do. Jesus knows that and links love and joy. Prayer nourishes love, and is at the service of love, the greatest of God's gifts.

PRAYER: 

Lord, I do not know why you should care that my joy may be complete. But you do, so let me give time now to savour this and to praise and thank you.

Jesus, The True Vine

MAY 10, 2023 WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 287   

Reading 1
Acts 15:1-6

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
"Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved."
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question.
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law."
The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R.(see 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 15:4a, 5b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Today I am invited to recognize my close relationship with Jesus, which he compares to the relationship between a vine and the branches that grow on it. What does it mean for my life that the life of Jesus flows into me? What does it mean for me personally to know that I am as much a part of Jesus as the branch is a part of the vine? Are there things in my life that would be different if I consciously realized this? What are they? I reflect on these things, I talk to Jesus about them and I ask the Holy Spirit to guide and enlighten me.

PRAYER:

Teach me, Lord Jesus, what it is to live in you, and for you to live in me. It means being in love with you, being at ease with you, finding my strength in you, and being ready, when questioned, to explain to others what you are in my life.