Mass Readings for Monday, April 26, 2010

 Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 11: 1 - 18

---

1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,

3 saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?"

4 But Peter began and explained to them in order:

5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, something descending, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came down to me.

6 Looking at it closely I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.

7 And I heard a voice saying to me, `Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'

8 But I said, `No, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, `What God has cleansed you must not call common.'

10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

11 At that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesare'a.

12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brethren also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.

13 And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter;

14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'

15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.

16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, `John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

18 When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life."

PSALM: Psalms 42: 2 - 3 ; 43: 3 - 4

---

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"

3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling!

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O God, my God.

GOSPEL: John 10: 11 - 18

---

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

12 He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

13 He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,

15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."

Mass Readings for Sunday, April 25, 2010

Fourth Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 13: 14, 43 - 52

---

14 but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisid'ia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

43 And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him.

46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, `I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'"

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region.

50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Ico'nium.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

PSALM: Psalms 100: 1 - 2, 3, 5

---

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

SECOND READING: Revelation 7: 9, 14 - 17

---

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

GOSPEL: John 10: 27 - 30

---

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

30 I and the Father are one."

Mass Readings for Saturday, April 24, 2010

 Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

Saint Fidelis Roy of Sigmaringen, Capuchin, Priest, Martyr (Feast)

FIRST READING: Acts 9: 31-42

---

31 The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up and living in the fear of the Lord; encouraged by the Holy Spirit, they continued to grow.

32 It happened that Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to God's holy people living down in Lydda.

33 There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.

34 Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and make your bed.' Aeneas got up immediately;

35 everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord.

36 At Jaffa there was a disciple called Tabitha, or in Greek, Dorcas, who never tired of doing good or giving to those in need.

37 But it happened that at this time she became ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in an upper room.

38 Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to urge him, 'Come to us without delay.'

39 Peter went back with them immediately, and on his arrival they took him to the upper room, where all the widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was with them.

40 Peter sent everyone out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, 'Tabitha, stand up.' She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up.

41 Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the members of the congregation and widows and showed them she was alive.

42 The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.

PSALM: Psalms 116: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17

---

12 What return can I make to the Lord for his generosity to me?

13 I shall take up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

14 I shall fulfil my vows to the Lord, witnessed by all his people.

15 Costly in the Lord's sight is the death of his faithful.

16 I beg you, Lord! I am your servant, I am your servant and my mother was your servant; you have undone my fetters.

17 I shall offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

GOSPEL: John 6: 60-69

---

60 After hearing it, many of his followers said, 'This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?'

61 Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, 'Does this disturb you?

62 What if you should see the Son of man ascend to where he was before?

63 'It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

64 'But there are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the outset who did not believe and who was to betray him.

65 He went on, 'This is why I told you that no one could come to me except by the gift of the Father.'

66 After this, many of his disciples went away and accompanied him no more.

67 Then Jesus said to the Twelve, 'What about you, do you want to go away too?'

68 Simon Peter answered, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life,

69 and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.'

Mass Readings for Friday, April 23, 2010

Friday of the Third Week of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 9: 1 - 20

---

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him.

4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;

6 but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying,

12 and he has seen a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

13 But Anani'as answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem;

14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

17 So Anani'as departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized,

19 and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

20 And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, "He is the Son of God."   

PSALM: Psalms 117: 1 - 2

---

1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2 For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!   

GOSPEL: John 6: 52 - 59

---

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;

54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.