Readings for Wednesday, May 14 2014; Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

Lectionary: 564

Reading 1 
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
(there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons
in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
through the mouth of David, concerning Judas,
who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.
and:
May another take his office.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men 
who accompanied us the whole time 
the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
beginning from the baptism of John
until the day on which he was taken up from us,
become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.

R. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 15:9-17

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.
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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE ETERNAL FRUIT OF LOVE

"As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you." –John 15:9

"God is love" (1 Jn 4:16). The Persons of the Holy Trinity love Each other eternally. The Father and the Son love each other eternally, and the eternal Fruit of this love is the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit not only produces fruit (Gal 5:22) but is Himself the Fruit of the love of the Father and the Son.

In receiving the Holy Spirit, we receive the power to obey God's very first command to the human race: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it" (Gn 1:28). In the Spirit, we bear abundant (Jn 15:5), lasting fruit (Jn 15:16).

However, we live in a contraceptive, abortifacient society. As Pope John Paul II has taught, we live in a "culture of death." This is true both physically and spiritually. For example, many Christians in the Western world would never even entertain the thought of trying to bear fruit by evangelizing. Even those who will share their faith under ideal circumstances abort their attempts to evangelize when they see they will have to die to themselves to bear fruit (see Jn 12:24).

As Pentecost approaches, we must decide whether we want the Holy Spirit, the Fruit of the love of the Father and the Son, or if we want to remain in the "culture of death." "Choose life" (Dt 30:19) and life in the Spirit.

PRAYER: Father, I choose life, love, fruitfulness, and death to self.

PROMISE: "He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill He lifts up the poor." –Ps 113:7

PRAISE: St. Matthias performed great signs and wonders among the people of Jerusalem. As a result, "more and more believers, men and women in great numbers, were continually added to the Lord" (Acts 5:12-14).

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Readings for Tuesday, May 13 2014; Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 280

Reading 1
Acts 11:19-26

Those who had been scattered by the persecution
that arose because of Stephen
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,
preaching the word to no one but Jews.
There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however,
who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well,
proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 
The hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord. 
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. 
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (117:1a) All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!

R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those who know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”

R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”

R. All you nations, praise the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 10:22-30

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter. 
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. 
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? 
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. 
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. 
No one can take them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. 
The Father and I are one.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: NO SNATCHING

"No one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father is greater than all, in what He has given Me, and there is no snatching out of His hand." –John 10:28-29

Most of us have family members and friends who have not given their lives to Jesus. We are rightly concerned about them. We hate to think that Jesus' death would be in vain for our loved ones (see 1 Cor 1:17). We are also painfully aware that many family members and friends are stubborn and very resistant to the Gospel. When we think of this, we tend to become more discouraged.

However, we should not be preoccupied with the condition of those away from the Lord. Rather, we should fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2). Although their sin is horrible, His "grace has far surpassed it" (Rm 5:20). Although they are stubborn, the Lord is all-powerful. Although they are selfish, He is Love Itself – even to the point of becoming a human being and dying on the cross for love of them and us. Everyone has a free will, and they can decide to separate themselves from the Lord forever, but the Lord also has a free, perfect will. He has decided to live, die, and rise for all in an almost irresistible way. "There is no snatching out of His hand" (Jn 10:29).

If the Lord has much to say about it, we and our loved ones will see Him face to face and be happy with Him forever in heaven. Be encouraged, confident, and hopeful of the salvation of all your family members and friends.

PRAYER: Father, lead at least one of my family members into Your kingdom this Pentecost.

PROMISE: "He encouraged them all to remain firm in their commitment to the Lord...Thereby large numbers were added to the Lord." –Acts 11:23-24

PRAISE: Joe bought a rosary while at Fatima. He asked Our Lady of Fatima to make it clear whom he should marry, and promised to give the rosary to his future wife. Years later, he met a faith-filled woman. When he proposed to her, he gave her the rosary.

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Readings for Monday, May 12 2014; Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 279

Reading 1 
Acts 11:1-18

The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea
heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. 
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem
the 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 Joppa
when 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 them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
‘John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 
If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us
when 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 
Psalm 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 on
And 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.

Gospel 
John 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 shepherd
and 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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: CLUED IN TO THE SPIRIT

"As I began to address them the Holy Spirit came upon them." –Acts 11:15

Peter, a Christian and a Jew, took the unprecedented step of entering the house of a Gentile, Cornelius (Acts 10:25). Gentiles, that is, non-Jews, were excluded from the company of Jews. However, the Holy Spirit made it crystal-clear to Peter that he was to enter Cornelius' house (Acts 11:5ff; 11:12).

The Spirit hadn't yet instructed Peter what to say to the assembled Gentiles. So Peter "proceeded to address them" with a standard witness to the risen Lord (Acts 10:34ff). Then Peter brought up the subject of sin (Acts 10:43). Based on his previous preaching in Acts, it's quite possible that Peter's next words would have involved accountability for sin and the need for deep repentance. Theologically this makes good sense, but the Holy Spirit had a different subject in mind, for the Spirit took over from Peter. "Peter had not finished these words" about forgiveness of sins "when the Holy Spirit descended upon all who were listening to Peter's message" (Acts 10:44). Although Peter's Jewish Christian companions were surprised at this turn of events (Acts 10:45), Peter followed "the Spirit's lead" perfectly (Gal 5:25). Rather than trying to take the floor back from the Holy Spirit and finish his sermon, Peter "gave orders that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:48).

Let us hear the voice of Jesus (Jn 10:16) and thereby learn the voice of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what is the right word at the right time (see e.g. 1 Cor 2:10ff). Like Peter, let us "live by the Spirit" and "follow the Spirit's lead" (Gal 5:25).

PRAYER: Father, I will serve You not by my own intelligence or wisdom, but by Your Spirit (Zec 4:6).

PROMISE: "I know My sheep and My sheep know Me." –Jn 10:14

PRAISE: St. Pancras had the fire of Christ at an early age and suffered martyrdom at age fourteen.

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Readings for Sunday, May 11 2014; Fourth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 49

Reading 1
Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23:1-2a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R/  (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R/  Alleluia.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R/  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R/  Alleluia.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R/  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R/  Alleluia.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

R/  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R/  Alleluia.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R/  Alleluia.

Reading 2
1 Peter 2:20b-25

Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Gospel
John 10:1-10

Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but 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 the shepherd 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,
the Pharisees 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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE PENTECOST GUILT-TRIP

"When they heard this, they were deeply shaken." –Acts 2:37

There were two outpourings of the Holy Spirit at the first Christian Pentecost. At nine AM, one-hundred and twenty people received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:15; 2:15). Later in the afternoon, three thousand people received the Spirit (Acts 2:41). Between these two great events, a pivotal question was asked by many in the crowd. This question was provoked by the realization that Jesus was Lord, God, and Messiah and that they had killed Him by crucifixion (Acts 2:36). In the midst of the first Christian Pentecost, many people suddenly came to realize that they had killed God. They were deeply shaken by this (Acts 2:37). "They asked Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do?' " (Acts 2:37)

To receive a new Pentecost, we need the Holy Spirit to first convict us of our sins, prove us wrong about sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8), and pierce our hearts with the realization that we, through our sins, were part of the mob that killed God. St. Francis of Assisi preached: "Nor did demons crucify Him; it is you who have crucified Him and crucify Him still, when you delight in your vices and sins" (Catechism, 598). We must stop denying reality. We were guilty of murdering God. This guilt should immediately lead to repentance, freedom from guilt, and the outpouring of the Spirit in a new Pentecost.

Come, Holy Spirit of conviction, guilt, and repentance!

PRAYER: Father, I will agree to go on a very short guilt-trip to my destination, Pentecost.

PROMISE: "I am the Gate. Whoever enters through Me will be safe. He will go in and out, and find pasture." –Jn 10:9

PRAISE: Alleluia! Jesus is risen! "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Cor 15:55) Alleluia!

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Readings for Saturday, May 10 2014; Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

Lectionary: 278

Reading 1
Acts 9:31-42

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was 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 upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that 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
Psalm 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 LORD
for 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 LORD

R. 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 pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is 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.

Gospel
John 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 believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and 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 believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE COMPANY LINE

"From this time on, many of His disciples broke away and would not remain in His company any longer." –John 6:66

What on earth could Jesus have possibly said that would result in many of His disciples refusing to remain in His company? He said something "hard to endure" and take seriously (Jn 6:60):

"I Myself am the Living Bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world" (Jn 6:51)."If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" (Jn 6:53)."He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day" (Jn 6:54)."My flesh is real food and My blood real drink. The man who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in Him" (Jn 6:55-56)."Just as the Father Who has life sent Me and I have life because of the Father, so the man who feeds on Me will have life because of Me" (Jn 6:57)."The man who feeds on this bread will live forever" (Jn 6:58).

Do these hard words of Jesus "shake your faith"? (Jn 6:61) They're supposed to. Therefore Jesus refused to recant or modify them just to keep the group together. After the disbelieving disciples left, Jesus then spoke to those who remained with Him, people like you and me. All that was left for Jesus to say was: "Do you want to leave Me too?" (Jn 6:67) How will you answer Jesus?

PRAYER: Jesus, so many have refused to remain with You. Use me to restore many thousands to You.

PROMISE: "Jesus Christ cures you!" –Acts 9:34

PRAISE: St. Damien gave his life for the terminally ill, the disenfranchised, as did the apostles and Jesus.

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Readings for Friday, May 9 2014; Friday of the Third Week of Easter

Lectionary: 277

Reading 1
Acts 9:1-20

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest and asked him
for 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 Straight
and 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 Ananias
come 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 priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.” 
But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to 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 eyes
and 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
Psalm 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.

Gospel
John 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 Blood
has 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 Blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and 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.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
TITLE: HIT THE ROAD

"I have been sent by the Lord Jesus Who appeared to you on the road." –Acts 9:17, our transl.

Saul went to Jerusalem and then to Damascus to arrest those who were "living according to the new way" (Acts 9:2). The exact translation is "those living according to the way," or even more precisely, "those living according to the road." Ironically, Jesus appeared to Saul on the road (Acts 9:3) when Saul was about to arrest those "living according to the road."

Saul's conversion was not the only one to begin on the road. The Ethiopian eunuch took the gospel to the ends of the earth (see Acts 1:8) after he was converted on the road in his chariot (Acts 8:26ff). On the afternoon of Jesus' resurrection, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus "said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the roadand explained the Scriptures to us?' " (Lk 24:32) "Then they recounted what had happened on the road and how they had come to know Him in the breaking of bread" (Lk 24:35). After Mary received the Holy Spirit and became the mother of God, she hit the road and brought Jesus and the Spirit to Elizabeth and her pre-born baby, John (Lk 1:39).

Jesus, Mary, and Paul were on the road. The early Church called herself "the road." The message is: Life is a road-trip, the Church is a road-house, and our job is road-work. Go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come to Jesus (Lk 14:23). Hit the road for the risen Jesus.

PRAYER: Father, through the intercession of St. Joseph, I will take Your gospel to those I work with.

PROMISE: "For My flesh is real food and My blood real drink. The man who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him." –Jn 6:55-56

PRAISE: John made a decision to spend more time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by signing up for an hour of weekly eucharistic adoration.

Readings for Thursday, May 8 2014; Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

Lectionary: 276

Reading 1
Acts 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that 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 road
they 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 news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 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 declare
what 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 not
my prayer or his kindness!

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

Gospel
John 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 Father
except 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 heaven
so 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 give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE RESURRECTION DESERT

"Head south toward the road which goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." –Acts 8:26

We've just spent forty days fasting in the Lenten desert, in imitation of Jesus' forty-day desert fast (Mt 4:1-2). Now Jesus is risen, and we celebrate the season of Easter, a fifty-day Sunday of feasting and rejoicing. Yet, like Philip, some of you may find yourselves in the desert after Easter Sunday (Acts 8:26). You may have lost a loved one (Acts 8:2), suffered persecution for your Easter faith (Acts 8:3), or are simply returning to your normal life after the spiritual high of Easter (Acts 8:27).

If you are in the Easter desert, you are not alone. Others, such as the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27), are also in the Easter desert. In the Easter desert can be found:

spiritual hunger (Acts 8:31),refreshing water which appears at just the right time, even in the midst of the arid surroundings (Acts 8:36),the precise, powerful guidance of the Spirit (Acts 8:29),the seeds of international evangelization (Acts 8:27, 39),conversion (Acts 8:38), andrejoicing (Acts 8:39).

If you are still in the desert, ask not so much to be taken out of the desert; rather, ask for "ears open to obedience" (Ps 40:7; see also Is 50:4). Your emptiness and suffering might be exactly what the Spirit uses to bring Easter joy to the world. After the Lord's purpose is completed, the Spirit can quickly carry you out of the desert to the refreshment you need (see Acts 8:39-40).

PRAYER: Father, use me to spread Your Word to the whole world.

PROMISE: "If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world." –Jn 6:51

PRAISE: By choosing to spend time volunteering to prepare the One Bread, One Body subscriptions for mailing, Cynthia is living Jesus' command to preach the Gospel to the four corners of the earth (see Mt 28:19-20).