Pod Apostle

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 106

Reading 1 WIS 12:13, 16-19

There is no god besides you who have the care of all,that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.For your might is the source of justice;your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,and with much lenience you govern us;for power, whenever you will, attends you.And you taught your people, by these deeds,that those who are just must be kind;and you gave your children good ground for hopethat you would permit repentance for their sins.

Responsorial Psalm PS 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

R. (5a) Lord, you are good and forgiving.You, O LORD, are good and forgiving,abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.Hearken, O LORD, to my prayerand attend to the sound of my pleading.R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.All the nations you have made shall comeand worship you, O LORD,and glorify your name.For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;you alone are God.R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.Turn toward me, and have pity on me;give your strength to your servant.R. Lord, you are good and forgiving.

Reading 2 ROM 8:26-27

Brothers and sisters:The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;for we do not know how to pray as we ought,but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.And the one who searches heartsknows what is the intention of the Spirit,because he intercedes for the holy onesaccording to God’s will.

Alleluia CF. MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:24-43 OR 13:24-30

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:“The kingdom of heaven may be likenedto a man who sowed good seed in his field.While everyone was asleep his enemy cameand sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.The slaves of the householder came to him and said,‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?Where have the weeds come from?’He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’His slaves said to him,‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weedsyou might uproot the wheat along with them.Let them grow together until harvest;then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

He proposed another parable to them.“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seedthat a person took and sowed in a field.It is the smallest of all the seeds,yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.It becomes a large bush,and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable.“The kingdom of heaven is like yeastthat a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flouruntil the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.He spoke to them only in parables,to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:I will open my mouth in parables,I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundationof the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.His disciples approached him and said,“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.The weeds are the children of the evil one,and the enemy who sows them is the devil.The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,so will it be at the end of the age.The Son of Man will send his angels,and they will collect out of his kingdomall who cause others to sin and all evildoers.They will throw them into the fiery furnace,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.Then the righteous will shine like the sunin the kingdom of their Father.Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 IS 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:Just as from the heavensthe rain and snow come downand do not return theretill they have watered the earth,making it fertile and fruitful,giving seed to the one who sowsand bread to the one who eats,so shall my word bethat goes forth from my mouth;my word shall not return to me void,but shall do my will,achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm  PS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.You have visited the land and watered it;greatly have you enriched it.God’s watercourses are filled;you have prepared the grain.R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,breaking up its clods,Softening it with showers,blessing its yield.R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.You have crowned the year with your bounty,and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;The untilled meadows overflow with it,and rejoicing clothes the hills.R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.The fields are garmented with flocksand the valleys blanketed with grain.They shout and sing for joy.R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Reading 2 ROM 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters:I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothingcompared with the glory to be revealed for us.For creation awaits with eager expectationthe revelation of the children of God;for creation was made subject to futility,not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,in hope that creation itselfwould be set free from slavery to corruptionand share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;and not only that, but we ourselves,who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,we also groan within ourselvesas we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.All who come to him will have life forever.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel MT 13:1-23 OR 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.Such large crowds gathered around himthat he got into a boat and sat down,and the whole crowd stood along the shore.And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:“A sower went out to sow.And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,and birds came and ate it up.Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,and when the sun rose it was scorched,and it withered for lack of roots.Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,“Why do you speak to them in parables?”He said to them in reply,“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heavenhas been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.This is why I speak to them in parables, becausethey look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:You shall indeed hear but not understand,you shall indeed look but never see.Gross is the heart of this people,they will hardly hear with their ears,they have closed their eyes,lest they see with their eyesand hear with their earsand understand with their hearts and be converted,and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,and your ears, because they hear.Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous peoplelonged to see what you see but did not see it,and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.The seed sown on the path is the onewho hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,and the evil one comes and steals awaywhat was sown in his heart.The seed sown on rocky groundis the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.But he has no root and lasts only for a time.When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,he immediately falls away.The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the wordand it bears no fruit.But the seed sown on rich soilis the one who hears the word and understands it,who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

or

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.Such large crowds gathered around himthat he got into a boat and sat down,and the whole crowd stood along the shore.And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:“A sower went out to sow.And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,and birds came and ate it up.Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,and when the sun rose it was scorched,and it withered for lack of roots.Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit,a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Fr. Mike O'Connor - Homily for Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1ZEC 9:9-10

Thus says the LORD:Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!See, your king shall come to you;a just savior is he,meek, and riding on an ass,on a colt, the foal of an ass.He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,and the horse from Jerusalem;the warrior’s bow shall be banished,and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.His dominion shall be from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial PsalmPS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.I will extol you, O my God and King,and I will bless your name forever and ever.Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and of great kindness.The LORD is good to alland compassionate toward all his works.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R. Alleluia.Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,and let your faithful ones bless you.Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdomand speak of your might.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R.  Alleluia.The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand holy in all his works.The LORD lifts up all who are fallingand raises up all who are bowed down.R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.or:R.  Alleluia.

Reading 2ROM 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:You are not in the flesh;on the contrary, you are in the spirit,if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,the one who raised Christ from the deadwill give life to your mortal bodies also,through his Spirit that dwells in you.Consequently, brothers and sisters,we are not debtors to the flesh,to live according to the flesh.For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,you will live.

AlleluiaCF. MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to little ones.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father.No one knows the Son except the Father,and no one knows the Father except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves.For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 97

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.” Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.” Elisha said, “Call her.” When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. The promises of the LORD I will sing forever, through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;” in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Blessed the people who know the joyful shout; in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk. At your name they rejoice all the day, and through your justice they are exalted. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. You are the splendor of their strength, and by your favor our horn is exalted. For to the LORD belongs our shield, and the Holy One of Israel, our king. R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 Rom 6:3-4, 8-11

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia 1 Pt 2:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of ChristLectionary: 167

Reading 1 DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A

Moses said to the people:"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,has directed all your journeying in the desert,so as to test you by afflictionand find out whether or not it was your intentionto keep his commandments.He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,and then fed you with manna,a food unknown to you and your fathers,in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

"Do not forget the LORD, your God,who brought you out of the land of Egypt,that place of slavery;who guided you through the vast and terrible desertwith its saraph serpents and scorpions,its parched and waterless ground;who brought forth water for you from the flinty rockand fed you in the desert with manna,a food unknown to your fathers."

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R.  (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R.  Alleluia.Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;praise your God, O Zion.For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;he has blessed your children within you.R.  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R.  Alleluia.He has granted peace in your borders;with the best of wheat he fills you.He sends forth his command to the earth;swiftly runs his word!R.  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R.  Alleluia.He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.He has not done thus for any other nation;his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.R.  Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.or:R.  Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 COR 10:16-17

Brothers and sisters:The cup of blessing that we bless,is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?The bread that we break,is it not a participation in the body of Christ?Because the loaf of bread is one,we, though many, are one body,for we all partake of the one loaf.

Sequence 

Lauda Sion

Laud, O Zion, your salvation,Laud with hymns of exultation,Christ, your king and shepherd true:

Bring him all the praise you know,He is more than you bestow.Never can you reach his due.

Special theme for glad thanksgivingIs the quick’ning and the livingBread today before you set:

From his hands of old partaken,As we know, by faith unshaken,Where the Twelve at supper met.

Full and clear ring out your chanting,Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,From your heart let praises burst:

For today the feast is holden,When the institution oldenOf that supper was rehearsed.

Here the new law’s new oblation,By the new king’s revelation,Ends the form of ancient rite:

Now the new the old effaces,Truth away the shadow chases,Light dispels the gloom of night.

What he did at supper seated,Christ ordained to be repeated,His memorial ne’er to cease:

And his rule for guidance taking,Bread and wine we hallow, makingThus our sacrifice of peace.

This the truth each Christian learns,Bread into his flesh he turns,To his precious blood the wine:

Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,But a dauntless faith believes,Resting on a pow’r divine.

Here beneath these signs are hiddenPriceless things to sense forbidden;Signs, not things are all we see:

Blood is poured and flesh is broken,Yet in either wondrous tokenChrist entire we know to be.

Whoso of this food partakes,Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;Christ is whole to all that taste:

Thousands are, as one, receivers,One, as thousands of believers,Eats of him who cannot waste.

Bad and good the feast are sharing,Of what divers dooms preparing,Endless death, or endless life.

Life to these, to those damnation,See how like participationIs with unlike issues rife.

When the sacrament is broken,Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,That each sever’d outward tokendoth the very whole contain.

Nought the precious gift divides,Breaking but the sign betidesJesus still the same abides,still unbroken does remain.

The shorter form of the sequence begins here.

Lo! the angel’s food is givenTo the pilgrim who has striven;see the children’s bread from heaven,which on dogs may not be spent.

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,Isaac bound, a victim willing,Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,manna to the fathers sent.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,Jesu, of your love befriend us,You refresh us, you defend us,Your eternal goodness send usIn the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,Who on earth such food bestow,Grant us with your saints, though lowest,Where the heav’nly feast you show,Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. 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 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:"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."

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 mewill 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."

Pentecost Sunday At the Vigil MassLectionary: 62

Reading 1 GN 11:1-9

The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.While the people were migrating in the east,they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.They said to one another,“Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.”They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a cityand a tower with its top in the sky,and so make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.”

The LORD came down to see the city and the towerthat the people had built.Then the LORD said: “If now, while they are one people,all speaking the same language,they have started to do this,nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.Let us then go down there and confuse their language,so that one will not understand what another says.”Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth,and they stopped building the city.That is why it was called Babel,because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world.It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.

or

Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b

Moses went up the mountain to God.Then the LORD called to him and said,“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites:You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptiansand how I bore you up on eagle wingsand brought you here to myself.Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,you shall be my special possession,dearer to me than all other people,though all the earth is mine.You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.That is what you must tell the Israelites.”So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people.When he set before themall that the LORD had ordered him to tell them,the people all answered together,“Everything the LORD has said, we will do.”

On the morning of the third daythere were peals of thunder and lightning,and a heavy cloud over the mountain,and a very loud trumpet blast,so that all the people in the camp trembled.But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God,and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain.Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke,for the LORD came down upon it in fire.The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace,and the whole mountain trembled violently.The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking,and God answering him with thunder.

When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai,he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.

or

Ez 37:1-14

The hand of the LORD came upon me,and he led me out in the spirit of the LORDand set me in the center of the plain,which was now filled with bones.He made me walk among the bones in every directionso that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.How dry they were!He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life?I answered, “Lord GOD, you alone know that.”Then he said to me:Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:See!  I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you,cover you with skin, and put spirit in youso that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD.I, Ezekiel, prophesied as I had been told,and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise;it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone.I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them.Then the LORD said to me:Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man,and say to the spirit:  Thus says the Lord GOD:From the four winds come, O spirit,and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them;they came alive and stood upright, a vast army.Then he said to me:Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.They have been saying,“Our bones are dried up,our hope is lost, and we are cut off.”Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD:O my people, I will open your gravesand have you rise from them,and bring you back to the land of Israel.Then you shall know that I am the LORD,when I open your graves and have you rise from them,O my people!I will put my spirit in you that you may live,and I will settle you upon your land;thus you shall know that I am the LORD.I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

or    

Jl 3:1-5

Thus says the LORD:I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,your young men shall see visions;even upon the servants and the handmaids,in those days, I will pour out my spirit.And I will work wonders in the heavens and on the earth,blood, fire, and columns of smoke;the sun will be turned to darkness,and the moon to blood,at the coming of the day of the LORD,the great and terrible day.Then everyone shall be rescuedwho calls on the name of the LORD;for on Mount Zion there shall be a remnant,as the LORD has said,and in Jerusalem survivorswhom the LORD shall call.

Responsorial Psalm PS 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-28, 29, 30

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!You are clothed with majesty and glory,robed in light as with a cloak.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.or:R. Alleluia.How manifold are your works, O LORD!In wisdom you have wrought them allCthe earth is full of your creatures;bless the LORD, O my soul!  Alleluia.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.or:R. Alleluia.Creatures all look to youto give them food in due time.When you give it to them, they gather it;when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.or:R. Alleluia.If you take away their breath, they perishand 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 2 ROM 8:22-27

Brothers and sisters:We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;and not only that, but we ourselves,who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,we also groan within ourselvesas we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.For in hope we were saved.Now hope that sees is not hope.For who hopes for what one sees?But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness;for we do not know how to pray as we ought,but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.And the one who searches heartsknows what is the intention of the Spirit,because he intercedes for the holy onesaccording to God’s will.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithfuland kindle in them the fire of your love.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the feast,Jesus stood up and exclaimed,“Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.As Scripture says:Rivers of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.”

He said this in reference to the Spiritthat those who came to believe in him were to receive.There was, of course, no Spirit yet,because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The Ascension of the LordLectionary: 58

Reading 1 ACTS 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,I dealt with all that Jesus did and taughtuntil the day he was taken up,after giving instructions through the Holy Spiritto the apostles whom he had chosen.He presented himself alive to themby many proofs after he had suffered,appearing to them during forty daysand speaking about the kingdom of God.While meeting with them,he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,but to wait for “the promise of the Fatherabout 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 seasonsthat 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 heavenwill return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Responsorial PsalmPS 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 revelationresulting 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 gloryin his inheritance among the holy ones,and what is the surpassing greatness of his powerfor us who believe,in accord with the exercise of his great might,which he worked in Christ,raising him from the deadand seating him at his right hand in the heavens,far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,and every name that is namednot only in this age but also in the one to come.And he put all things beneath his feetand 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.”

Sixth Sunday of EasterLectionary: 55

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

Philip went down to the city of Samariaand proclaimed the Christ to them.With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philipwhen 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 Jerusalemheard 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 themand 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 declarewhat he has done for me.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.

Reading 2 1 PT 3:15-18

Beloved:Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.Always be ready to give an explanationto 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 Christmay 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 Fatherand you are in me and I in you.Whoever has my commandments and observes themis 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.”

Fifth Sunday of EasterLectionary: 52

Reading 1 ACTS 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow,the Hellenists complained against the Hebrewsbecause their widowswere being neglected in the daily distribution.So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,filled with the Spirit and wisdom,whom we shall appoint to this task,whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayerand to the ministry of the word.”The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.They presented these men to the apostleswho prayed and laid hands on them.The word of God continued to spread,and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Responsorial Psalm PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.or:R. Alleluia.Exult, you just, in the LORD;praise from the upright is fitting.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.or:R. Alleluia.Upright is the word of the LORD,and all his works are trustworthy.He loves justice and right;of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.or:R. Alleluia.See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,upon those who hope for his kindness,To deliver them from deathand preserve them in spite of famine.R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.or:R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 PT 2:4-9

Beloved:Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beingsbut chosen and precious in the sight of God,and, like living stones,let yourselves be built into a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrificesacceptable to God through Jesus Christ.For it says in Scripture:Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,a cornerstone, chosen and precious,and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone,andA stone that will make people stumble,and a rock that will make them fall.They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,a holy nation, a people of his own,so that you may announce the praises” of himwho called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;no one comes to the Father, except through me.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not let your hearts be troubled.You have faith in God; have faith also in me.In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.If there were not,would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come back again and take you to myself,so that where I am you also may be.Where I am going you know the way.”Thomas said to him,“Master, we do not know where you are going;how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.If you know me, then you will also know my Father.From now on you do know him and have seen him.”Philip said to him,“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a timeand you still do not know me, Philip?Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,or else, believe because of the works themselves.Amen, amen, I say to you,whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,and will do greater ones than these,because I am going to the Father.”