Mass Reading: Sunday - 30th April 2023

First reading
Acts 2:14,36-41
'God has made him both Lord and Christ'

    On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’

    Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
    where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
    to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;
    he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
    no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
    with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me
    in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
    my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
    all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
    for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

________

Second reading
1 Peter 2:20-25
You have come back to the shepherd of your souls

    The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing punishment patiently when you are punished after doing your duty.

    This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took. He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge. He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed. You had gone astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 10:1-10
I am the gate of the sheepfold

Jesus said:

    ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

    Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
    So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 30th April 2023

ACTS 2:14A, 36-41; PS 23:1-3A, 3B4-6; 1 PT 2:20B-25; JN 10:1-10

Today’s readings on this fourth Sunday of Easter offer us a glimpse into the heart of our loving Savior. He is the Good Shepherd and we can confidently place our trust in Him as we live the stewardship way of life.

 

In both the first and second readings, we find Peter embracing his role as leader of the newborn Church. In our first reading from Acts, he exhorts the crowd, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” We then read that the ones who accepted his message were baptized that day. Peter simply proposed the Good News to them and then left them free to accept or reject the call to repentance and belief in Christ, which is ultimately a call from God.

 

We can find many parallels in this passage to the call to a stewardship way of life. We, too, are free to accept or reject God’s call to discipleship. We can keep our time, talents, and treasure for ourselves, purely to serve our own interests. We are free to make that choice.

 

Or, we can embrace the call to discipleship through the stewardship way of life. If we do so, we will find a path to freedom from “this corrupt generation” just as those first disciples found in the early days of the Church.

 

Our second reading, again featuring St. Peter, offers further motivation for embracing this way of life. Peter reminds us that Christ, “bore our sins in his body upon the cross.” And that, “by his wounds you have been healed. For [we] had gone astray like sheep but… have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of [our] souls.” Such an incredibly poignant description of the love our Savior has for us and the kind of relationship He desires to have with us — as shepherd and guardian of our souls.

 

This endearing image of Jesus as shepherd, and His personal love for each one of us, is expanded in our Gospel passage from John, through the words of Jesus Himself. Here we read Jesus’ description of Himself as the “Good Shepherd.” He says of Himself, “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.”

 

This aspect of our Lord’s tender and personal love for each one of us is yet another reason to embrace the stewardship way of life — in the offering of our time, talent, and treasure to Him, we can express our gratitude to Him for the incomprehensible love He has for us.

 

Embracing the stewardship way of life certainly requires trust on our part. But Christ has proven Himself worthy of our trust. He “bore our sins in His body.” He calls Himself our shepherd and He offers Himself as the guardian of our souls. He has withheld nothing of Himself and His goodness from us. He would never ask anything of us that would bring us harm.

 

On the contrary. Our Lord did not come to take from us, but to give to us. Again, we read His own words from the Gospel passage, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

 

This Easter season, let us resolve to freely give all of ourselves and our lives gratefully to Him.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 23rd April 2023

First reading
Acts 2:14,22-33
God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to this

    On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him:

    I saw the Lord before me always,
for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
So my heart was glad
and my tongue cried out with joy;
my body, too, will rest in the hope
that you will not abandon my soul to Hades
nor allow your holy one to experience corruption.
You have made known the way of life to me,
you will fill me with gladness through your presence.

    ‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
    I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
    it is you yourself who are my prize.’

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
    who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
    since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
    even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
    nor let your beloved know decay.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

You will show me the path of life,
    the fullness of joy in your presence,
    at your right hand happiness for ever.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

________

Second reading
1 Peter 1:17-21
Your ransom was paid in the precious blood of Christ

    If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home. Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk24:32

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.
Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 24:13-35
They recognised him at the breaking of bread

    Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.

    Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’

    Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

    When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

    They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 23rd April 2023

 

ACTS 2:14, 22-33; PS 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1 PT 1:17-21; LK 24:13-35

Today’s readings focus on a theme of “sojourning.” As Christian stewards, we know that our lives are a sojourn toward the ultimate destination of heaven.
 
Our second reading instructs us to “conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed… with the precious blood of Christ.” What a  powerful reminder during the Easter season of our “why” for embracing the stewardship way of life — we have been ransomed by our Lord’s saving death and resurrection. Our lives are a gift from Him — as we sojourn through life, we are to make our lives a gift to Him in return.
 
Our Gospel passage today describes a sojourn as well, the familiar Easter season story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two are dejected and despondent after Jesus’ death. These men knew Jesus personally. They were believers. They had heard the Gospel message directly from His lips. They talked with Him, traveled with Him, and ate with Him. They heard the testimony of the women who discovered the empty tomb of our Lord and saw a vision of angels announcing He was alive. And if that were not enough, they had also been informed by other disciples who went to the tomb that all was exactly as the women reported.
 
How much more obvious could the Good News be?
 
And yet, at times, the reaction of the two disciples describes our own walk of faith, doesn’t it? We have the fullness of the Catholic faith, the power of the sacraments, and the support of our parish family. Yet, we lose our way. We fail to see all the gifts we have been given. We lack trust in the perfect goodness and almighty power of God. The life of a disciple — even for us modern-day disciples — is truly a sojourn, with valleys and mountaintops, wrong turns, and course corrections required regularly.
 
Our Lord offers a course correction to the two disciples who have lost their way, opening their eyes to the reality of His presence and the truth of His Resurrection. What happens when their eyes are opened once again, and they recognize Jesus in the Eucharist —  “the breaking of the bread?” They are transformed! Their hearts are set on fire with love for the Lord and their faith. They recall that their hearts began “burning within” as the Lord was explaining the Scriptures to them.
 
So, what can we do when we become discouraged when we need our hearts set on fire once again? We can go to the same sources as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus — the Scriptures (the living Word of God) and the Eucharist (the very source and summit of our faith). Frequent recourse to these two gifts from our Lord is essential to sustain us in the stewardship way of life.
 
In this Easter season, resolve to feast deeply on these two sources of grace. They are the fuel that will propel us on the journey toward heaven, with a renewed sense of joy and gratitude as we go!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 16th April 2023

First reading
Acts 2:42-47
The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common

    The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

    The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.

    The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.

    They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

Let the sons of Israel say:
    ‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
    ‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
    ‘His love has no end.’

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
    but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
    in the tents of the just.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

The stone which the builders rejected
    has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
    a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
    we rejoice and are glad.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

________

Second reading
1 Peter 1:3-9
You did not see Christ, yet you love him

    Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

The word of the Lord.

________

Sequence
Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
    offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death with life contended:
    combat strangely ended!

Life’s own Champion, slain,
    yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary: 
    say what thou didst see 
    upon the way.

The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.

Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee. 

That Christ is truly risen
    from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn20:29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

Alleluia!

_________

Gospel
John 20:19-31
Eight days later, Jesus came again and stood among them

    In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’

    After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’

    Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

    There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 16th April 2023

 

ACTS 2:42-47; PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 PT 1:3-9; JN 20:19-31

The Christian steward approaches life with an “Easter vision” rooted in gratitude for and confidence in the salvation our Lord has won for us through His death and Resurrection. Today’s readings on this Divine Mercy Sunday teach us how this approach plays out in daily life and remind us that we can have complete trust in the mercy of God to lead us, step by step, to heaven.
 
Our first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, describes this beautiful way of life as it was practiced by the first Christians. “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” And, “They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.” This is a snapshot of the very first community of Christian stewards living out their daily life — embracing prayer (the breaking of the bread), formation (the teaching of the apostles), hospitality (the communal life and fellowship through joyful meals together), and mutual service. What an inspiration to us modern-day stewards!
 
The Easter season is not the time to let up in the practice of our faith now that Lent is behind us. Rather, it is a time to live our faith with deeper joy and gratitude as we bask in the celebration of our Lord’s victory over sin and death for us. St. Peter summarizes this Easter outlook eloquently in our second reading. Our daily lives should be a reflection of this attitude: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is… kept in heaven for you.” St. Peter acknowledges that life can be difficult however, saying that “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials.”
 
Certainly, it is challenging to live for heaven when the things of the earth — job stress, family crises, health troubles, political strife — loom large on the horizon. We can find ourselves becoming cynical like the Apostle, Thomas, in our Gospel passage today — until he had an encounter with the merciful Savior. We all recall the famous line from Thomas who was not present with the other Apostles during Jesus’ first appearance after the Resurrection. Beaten down by the events of the last several days, Thomas refuses to believe that the others had indeed “seen the Lord” as they claimed.
 
Thomas stubbornly declares he would not believe their story about the Lord unless he placed his finger into the nail marks and his hand into His side. Yet, these doubts did not repel our Lord. They actually drew Him to Thomas in an extraordinary way. Our merciful Lord saw that beneath the hubris in Thomas’ statement were pain and disappointment. Our Lord is mercy itself. And so He did not condemn Thomas, but calmed his doubts and fears, and allowed Thomas to actually touch those Sacred Wounds.
 
What amazing grace.
 
When we are tempted to give in to doubts about our faith, for whatever reason, all we need to do is seek the Lord — in prayer, in the sacraments, through the encouragement of our Christian communities — and just as He did for Thomas, our Lord will mercifully restore our Easter vision and fill us with His joy and peace.

Pope's Intention - April 2023

For a culture of peace and non-violence

We pray for the spread of peace and non-violence, by decreasing the use of weapons by States and citizens.

******************************************************************************************

In April, we pray with Pope Francis for the spread of peace and non-violence, through a decreasing use of weapons by both states and citizens

‘All can work together to build a more peaceful world, starting from the hearts of individuals and relationships in the family, then within society and with the environment, and all the way up to relationships between peoples and nations.’–  Pope Francis

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 09th April 2023

ACTS 10:34A, 37-43; PS 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; COL 3:1-4 or 1 COR 5:6B-8; JN 20:1-9

The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season.
 
Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? By the way we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony.
 
Reflecting on today’s Gospel passage from John and studying the actions of the first witnesses to the Resurrection gives us further insight into how we should live the Easter season.
 
First, we learn of Mary Magdalene’s response. She “came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark.” Despite the trauma of just having witnessed the crucifixion of the Lord Whom she loved so much, Mary Magdalene remained focused on Him, not on herself and her own sense of loss. In fact, forgetting herself entirely, she made her way to the tomb in the dark so she could be near Him. Once she realized that the tomb was empty we read that she “ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple…” to tell them this shocking news. In response, we read that “they both ran, but the other disciple ran faster and arrived at the tomb first.”
 
They ran to see all of this for themselves. These first witnesses of Christ’s mission and message, His death, and now His Resurrection were passionate. As stewards, we are called to this same devotion to our Lord, this same passion, and the same determination to remain near to Him no matter what.
 
This will look different depending on our own circumstances. Perhaps it will mean committing to a weekday Mass throughout the Easter season to rejoice in all that the Lord has done for us through His death and Resurrection. Perhaps it will mean getting up “in the dark” of the early morning to reflect on the daily Gospel. Perhaps we will gather our courage and finally speak to that friend or co-worker about what the Lord means to us and how they can have His grace in their lives, too. Maybe we will be inspired to host an Easter feast for friends and neighbors at some point during the next 50 days of celebration.
 
As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad, and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 09th April 2023

First reading
Acts 10:34,37-43
'We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection'

    Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):1-2,16-17,22-23

This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
    for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say:
    ‘His love has no end.’

This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
    his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
    and recount his deeds.

This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

The stone which the builders rejected
    has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
    a marvel in our eyes.

This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

________

Second reading
Colossians 3:1-4
Look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

    Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

The word of the Lord.

________

Sequence
Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
    offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death with life contended:
    combat strangely ended!

Life’s own Champion, slain,
    yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary: 
    say what thou didst see 
    upon the way.

The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.

Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.

That Christ is truly risen
    from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!

________

Gospel Acclamation
1Cor5:7-8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed:
let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
John 20:1-9
He must rise from the dead

    It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

    So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Friday - 07th April 2023

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

First reading
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
The servant of the Lord, an expiatory Sacrifice

    See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.

    As the crowds were appalled on seeing him
– so disfigured did he look
that he seemed no longer human –
so will the crowds be astonished at him,
and kings stand speechless before him;
for they shall see something never told
and witness something never heard before:
‘Who could believe what we have heard,
and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’

    Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.

    And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.

    We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and the Lord burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers
never opening its mouth.

    By force and by law he was taken;
would anyone plead his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;
for our faults struck down in death.
They gave him a grave with the wicked,
a tomb with the rich,
though he had done no wrong
and there had been no perjury in his mouth.

    The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in atonement,
he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life
and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

   

    His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself. 

    Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 30(31):2,6,12-13,15-17,25

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
    Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
    It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In the face of all my foes
    I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbours
    and of fear to my friends.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Those who see me in the street
    run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten in men’s hearts,
    like a thing thrown away.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

But as for me, I trust in you, Lord;
    I say: ‘You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me
    from the hands of those who hate me.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Let your face shine on your servant.
    Save me in your love.’
Be strong, let your heart take courage,
    all who hope in the Lord.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

________

Second reading
Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9
The Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us

    Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

    During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Phil2:8-9

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Christ was humbler yet,
even to accepting death, death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name which is above all names.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

________

John 18:1-19:42
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.

    N. Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,

    ✠ Who are you looking for?

    N. They answered, 

    C. Jesus the Nazarene.

    N. He said, 

    ✠ I am he.

    N. Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,

    ✠ Who are you looking for?

    N. They said,

    C. Jesus the Nazarene.

    N. Jesus replied,

    ✠ I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.

    N. This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’

    Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,

    ✠ Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?

    N. The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’

    Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter,

    O. Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?

    N. He answered,

    O. I am not.

    N. Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.

    The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered,

    ✠ I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.

    N. At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying,

    O. Is that the way to answer the high priest?

    N. Jesus replied,

    ✠ If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?

    N. Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

    As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him,

    O. Aren’t you another of his disciples?

    N. He denied it, saying,

    O. I am not.

    N. One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said,

    O. Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?

    N. Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.

    They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said,

    O. What charge do you bring against this man?

    N. They replied,

    C. If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.

    N. Pilate said,

    O. Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.

    N. The Jews answered,

    C. We are not allowed to put a man to death.

    N. This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.

    So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, and asked,

    O. Are you the king of the Jews?

    N. Jesus replied,

    ✠ Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?

    N. Pilate answered,

    O. Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?

    N. Jesus replied,

    ✠ Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.

    N. Pilate said,

    O. So you are a king, then?

    N. Jesus answered,

    ✠ It is you who say it. Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.

    N. Pilate said,

    O. Truth? What is that?

    N. and with that he went out again to the Jews and said,

    O. I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?

    N. At this they shouted:

    C. Not this man, but Barabbas.

    N. Barabbas was a brigand.

    Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying,

    C. Hail, king of the Jews!

    N. and they slapped him in the face.

    Pilate came outside again and said to them,

    O. Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.

    N. Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said,

    O. Here is the man.

    N. When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted,

    C. Crucify him! Crucify him!

    N. Pilate said,

    O. Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.

    N. The Jews replied,

    C. We have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.

    N. When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus

    O. Where do you come from?

    N. But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him,

    O. Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?

    N. Jesus replied,

    ✠ You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.

    N. From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted,

    C. If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.

    N. Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews,

    O. Here is your king.

    N. They said,

    C. Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!

    N. Pilate said,

    O. Do you want me to crucify your king?

    N. The chief priests answered,

    C. We have no king except Caesar.

    N. So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

    They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,

    C. You should not write ‘King of the Jews,’ but ‘This man said: “I am King of the Jews.”’

    N. Pilate answered,

    O. What I have written, I have written.

    N. When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another,

    C. Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.

    N. In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:

    They shared out my clothing among them.

    They cast lots for my clothes.

This is exactly what the soldiers did.

    Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother,

    ✠ Woman, this is your son.

    N. Then to the disciple he said,

    ✠ This is your mother.

    N. And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

    After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:

    ✠ I am thirsty.

    N. A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said,

    ✠ It is accomplished;

    N. and bowing his head he gave up his spirit. 

    Here all kneel and pause for a short time. 

    It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:

    Not one bone of his will be broken;

and again, in another place scripture says:

    They will look on the one whom they have pierced.

    After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Mass Reading: Thursday - 06th April 2023

First reading
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14
The Passover is a day of festival for all generations, for ever

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:

    ‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it like this: with a girdle round your waist, sandals on your feet, a staff in your hand. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 115(116):12-13,15-18

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

How can I repay the Lord
    for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
    I will call on the Lord’s name.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
    you have loosened my bonds.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
    I will call on the Lord’s name.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
    before all his people.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord

    This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn13:34

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you, 
says the Lord.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

________

Gospel
John 13:1-15
Now he showed how perfect his love was

    It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

    They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’

    When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.