Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Ascension of the Lord by Dr. Scott Hahn.

ASCENSION OF THE LORD Solemnity, Philip Neri, Priest Obligatory Memorial First Reading: Acts 1: 1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Alleluia: Matthew 28:19a, 20b
Gospel: Luke 24:46-53

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Easter Weekday / Venerable Bede, Priest, Religious, Doctor / Gregory VII, Pope, Religious / Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin, Religious First Reading: Acts 17: 15, 22 – 18: 1
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 148: 1-2, 11-12, 13, 14
Alleluia: John 14: 16
Gospel: John 16: 12-15

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. James Merrick.

Easter Weekday First Reading: Acts 16: 22-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 138: 1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
Alleluia: John 16: 7, 13
Gospel: John 16: 5-11

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Easter Weekday First Reading: Acts 16: 11-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 149: 1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
Alleluia: John 15: 26b, 27a
Gospel: John 15: 26 – 16: 4

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Readings:
Acts 15:1–2, 22–29
Psalm 67:2–3, 5–6, 8
Revelation 21:10–14, 22–23
John 14:23–29

The first Church council, the Council of Jerusalem we hear about in today’s First Reading, decided the shape of the Church as we know it.

Some Jewish Christians had wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised and obey all the complex ritual and purity laws of the Jews.

The council called this a heresy, again showing us that the Church in the divine plan is meant to be a worldwide family of God, no longer a covenant with just one nation.

Today’s Liturgy gives us a profound meditation on the nature and meaning of the Church. The Church is One, as we see in the First Reading: “the Apostles [bishops] and presbyters [priests], in agreement with the whole Church [laity].”

The Church is Holy, taught and guided by the Spirit that Jesus promises the Apostles in the Gospel.

The Church is Catholic, or universal, making known God’s ways of salvation to all peoples, ruling all in equity, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

And the Church, as John sees in the Second Reading, is Apostolic—founded on the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

All these marks of the Church are underscored in the story of the council.

Notice that everybody, including Paul, looks to “Jerusalem [and] . . . the Apostles” to decide the Church’s true teaching. The Apostles, too, presume that Christian teachers need a “mandate from us.”

And we see the Spirit guiding the Apostles in all truth. Notice how they describe their ruling: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.”

Knowing these truths about the Church, our hearts should never be troubled. The Liturgy’s message today is that the Church is the Lord’s, watched over and guarded by the Advocate, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in the name of the Son.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Mr. Clement Harrold.

Easter Weekday / Christopher Magallanes, Priest & Companions, Martyrs First Reading: Acts 16: 1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 100: 2, 3, 5
Alleluia: Colossians 3: 1
Gospel: John 15: 18-21

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Easter Weekday / Bernardine of Siena, Priest, Religious, Missionary First Reading: Acts 15: 22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 57: 8-9, 10 and 12
Alleluia: John 15: 15b
Gospel: John 15: 12-17

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Dr. James Merrick.

Easter Weekday First Reading: Acts 15: 7-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 10
Alleluia: John 10: 27
Gospel: John 15: 9-11

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Dr. John Bergsma.

Easter Weekday / John I, Pope, Martyr First Reading: Acts 15: 1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 122: 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
Alleluia: John 15: 4a, 5b
Gospel: John 15: 1-8

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter by Dr. Scott Hahn.

Easter Weekday First Reading: Acts 14: 5-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 115: 1-2, 3-4, 15-16
Alleluia: John 14: 26
Gospel: John 14: 21-26

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