• Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

    Reading 1 Acts 11:1-18 The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judeaheard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalemthe circumcised believers confronted him, saying,'You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them." Peter began and explained it to them step by step, saying,"I was at prayer in the city of Joppawhen in a trance I had a vision,something resembling a large sheet coming down,lowered from the sky by its four corners, and it came to me. Looking intently into it,I observed and saw the four-legged animals of the earth,the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.' But I said, 'Certainly not, sir,because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But a second time a voice from heaven answered,'What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.' This happened three times,and then everything was drawn up again into the sky.Just then three men appeared at the house where we were,who had been sent to me from Caesarea. The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. These six brothers also went with me,and we entered the man's house. He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying,'Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.' As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon themas it had upon us at the beginning,and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,'John baptized with waterbut you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift he gave to uswhen we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,who was I to be able to hinder God?"When they heard this,they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying,"God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too." Responsorial Psalm Ps 42:2-3; 43:3, 4 R. (see 3a) Athirst is my soul for the living God.or:R. Alleluia.As the hind longs for the running waters,so my soul longs for you, O God.Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.When shall I go and behold the face of God?R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.or:R. Alleluia.Send forth your light and your fidelity;they shall lead me onAnd bring me to your holy mountain,to your dwelling-place.R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.or:R. Alleluia.Then will I go in to the altar of God,the God of my gladness and joy;Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,O God, my God!R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 10:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;I know my sheep, and mine know me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 10:1-10 Jesus said:"Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gatebut climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.When he has driven out all his own,he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,because they recognize his voice.But they will not follow a stranger;they will run away from him,because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."Although Jesus used this figure of speech,they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you,I am the gate for the sheep.All who came before me are thieves and robbers,but the sheep did not listen to them.I am the gate.Whoever enters through me will be saved,and will come in and go out and find pasture.A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  • Fourth Sunday of Easter

    Reading 1 Acts 4:8-12 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:"Leaders of the people and elders:If we are being examined todayabout a good deed done to a cripple,namely, by what means he was saved,then all of you and all the people of Israel should knowthat it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazoreanwhom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;in his name this man stands before you healed.He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,which has become the cornerstone.There is no salvation through anyone else,nor is there any other name under heavengiven to the human race by which we are to be saved." Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:R. Alleluia.Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,for his mercy endures forever.It is better to take refuge in the LORDthan to trust in man.It is better to take refuge in the LORDthan to trust in princes.R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:R. Alleluia.I will give thanks to you, for you have answered meand have been my savior.The stone which the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone.By the LORD has this been done;it is wonderful in our eyes.R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:R. Alleluia.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;we bless you from the house of the LORD.I will give thanks to you, for you have answered meand have been my savior.Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;for his kindness endures forever.R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:R. Alleluia. Reading 2 1 Jn 3:1-2 Beloved:See what love the Father has bestowed on usthat we may be called the children of God.Yet so we are.The reason the world does not know usis that it did not know him.Beloved, we are God's children now;what we shall be has not yet been revealed.We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is. Alleluia Jn 10:14 R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;I know my sheep, and mine know me.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 10:11-18 Jesus said:"I am the good shepherd.A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.A hired man, who is not a shepherdand whose sheep are not his own,sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,and the wolf catches and scatters them.This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.I am the good shepherd,and I know mine and mine know me,just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;and I will lay down my life for the sheep.I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,and there will be one flock, one shepherd.This is why the Father loves me,because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.This command I have received from my Father." - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  • Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

    Reading 1 Acts 9:31-42 The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samariawas at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.As Peter was passing through every region,he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas,who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him,"Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,and they turned to the Lord.Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha(which translated is Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. Now during those days she fell sick and died,so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa,the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,sent two men to him with the request,"Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairswhere all the widows came to him weepingand showing him the tunics and cloaksthat Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up,and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,he presented her alive. This became known all over Joppa,and many came to believe in the Lord. Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 R. (12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?or:R. Alleluia.How shall I make a return to the LORDfor all the good he has done for me?The cup of salvation I will take up,and I will call upon the name of the LORDR. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?or:R. Alleluia.My vows to the LORD I will payin the presence of all his people.Precious in the eyes of the LORDis the death of his faithful ones.R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?or:R. Alleluia.O LORD, I am your servant;I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;you have loosed my bonds.To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia See Jn 6:63c, 68c R. Alleluia, alleluia.Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;you have the words of everlasting life.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:60-69 Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,he said to them, "Does this shock you?What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.But there are some of you who do not believe."Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believeand the one who would betray him.And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to meunless it is granted him by my Father."As a result of this,many of his disciples returned to their former way of lifeand no longer walked with him.Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?You have the words of eternal life.We have come to believeand are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  • Friday of the Third Week of Easter

    Reading 1 Acts 9:1-20 Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,went to the high priest and asked himfor letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that,if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus,a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless,for they heard the voice but could see no one.Saul got up from the ground,but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus.For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias,and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straightand ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul.He is there praying,and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananiascome in and lay his hands on him,that he may regain his sight."But Ananias replied,"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.And here he has authority from the chief prieststo imprison all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him,"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mineto carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name." So Ananias went and entered the house;laying his hands on him, he said,"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately things like scales fell from his eyesand he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized,and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus,and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,that he is the Son of God. Responsorial Psalm Ps 117:1bc, 2 R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.Praise the LORD, all you nations;glorify him, all you peoples!R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia.For steadfast is his kindness toward us,and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 6:56 R. Alleluia, alleluia.Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood,remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:52-59 The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,"How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them,"Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day.For my Flesh is true food,and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodremains in me and I in him.Just as the living Father sent meand I have life because of the Father,so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  • Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

    Reading 1 Acts 8:26-40 The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,“Get up and head south on the roadthat goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,a court official of the Candace,that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,in charge of her entire treasury,who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.The Spirit said to Philip,“Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,“Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied,“How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the Scripture passage he was reading:Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,so he opened not his mouth.In his humiliation justice was denied him.Who will tell of his posterity?For his life is taken from the earth.Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?About himself, or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,he proclaimed Jesus to him.As they traveled along the roadthey came to some water,and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Then he ordered the chariot to stop,and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,and he baptized him. When they came out of the water,the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,and the eunuch saw him no more,but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good newsto all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Responsorial Psalm Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.or:R. Alleluia.Bless our God, you peoples,loudly sound his praise;He has given life to our souls,and has not let our feet slip.R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.or:R. Alleluia.Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declarewhat he has done for me.When I appealed to him in words,praise was on the tip of my tongue.R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.or:R. Alleluia.Blessed be God who refused me notmy prayer or his kindness!R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.or:R. Alleluia. Alleluia Jn 6:51 R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the living bread that came down from heaven,says the Lord;whoever eats this bread will live forever.R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 6:44-51 Jesus said to the crowds:"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,and I will raise him on the last day.It is written in the prophets:They shall all be taught by God.Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.Not that anyone has seen the Fatherexcept the one who is from God;he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;this is the bread that comes down from heavenso that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven;whoever eats this bread will live forever;and the bread that I will giveis my Flesh for the life of the world." - - -Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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