Mass Reading: Sunday - 12th April 2026

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 - 12th April 2026

 

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 show how that vision is lived out in daily life and remind us that we can place complete trust in the mercy of God to lead us, step by step, toward heaven.

Our first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, describes this beautiful way of life as 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 first community of Christian stewards living daily stewardship — embracing prayer through the breaking of the bread, formation through the teaching of the apostles, hospitality through communal life and joyful fellowship, and service through their care for one another. What an inspiration for us as modern-day stewards.

The Easter season is not a time to relax in the practice of our faith now that Lent is behind us. Rather, it is a time to live our faith with even deeper joy and gratitude as we celebrate our Lord’s victory over sin and death. St. Peter captures this Easter outlook beautifully in our second reading: “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.” This should shape the way we live each day. At the same time, St. Peter acknowledges that the Christian life is not without hardship: “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials.”

Certainly, it can be difficult to keep our eyes fixed on heaven when earthly concerns — job stress, family struggles, health worries, political division — loom so large. At times, we can find ourselves becoming cynical like the Apostle Thomas in today’s Gospel, before his encounter with the merciful Savior. Not present when Jesus first appeared to the other Apostles after the Resurrection, Thomas refused to believe their witness that they had “seen the Lord.”

He insisted he would not believe unless he placed his finger into the nail marks and his hand into Christ’s side. Yet his doubts did not repel our Lord — they drew Him near in an extraordinary way. Beneath Thomas’ stubborn words, Jesus saw pain, disappointment and fear. Our Lord, who is mercy itself, did not condemn him. Instead, He calmed his doubts, invited him closer, and allowed him to touch those Sacred Wounds.

What amazing grace.

When we are tempted to doubt, for whatever reason, we need only seek the Lord — in prayer, in the sacraments, and through the encouragement of our Christian community. Just as He did for Thomas, our Lord will mercifully restore our Easter vision and fill us with His joy and peace.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 07th April 2024

ACTS 4:32-35; PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 JN 5:1-6; JN 20:19-31

On this second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We celebrate this feast today since God’s mercy was shared with us through the resurrection of Jesus. The access to Divine Mercy has been with us since that time. Many centuries later, in 1931, Jesus revealed specific instructions to a nun named Sr. Faustina to help further spread the message of His Divine Mercy. To put it simply, today, we are celebrating Jesus’ merciful love for us and how we can partake in it.

No matter where we are on our journey as a disciple of Christ, we are all in need of God’s merciful love. There are countless times throughout our day when we miss the mark. For instance, we might fail to respond in kind to our spouse or kids, fall into gossip in our workday, or even forget to think positively of others. These shortcomings call us to humble ourselves and receive the unwavering mercy of God.

As we see in our Gospel, even Thomas, one of Jesus’ apostles, falls short as he doubts the resurrection. We can resonate with Thomas in the ways we might have doubts about the presence of Christ in our day-to-day lives — not believing in His power, doubting His presence in times of suffering, or even doubting His love for us. Yet, there is something valuable we can learn from Thomas. Once he realized his weakness, he cried out, “My Lord and my God.” Surely at that moment, Jesus could see the thoughts of Thomas’ heart and extended His merciful love towards him. When we recognize our need for God’s mercy, let us cry out for Him at that moment, saying, “My Lord and my God, have mercy on me.”

Jesus is Mercy itself. He was born into time to save us from sin. And to ensure His Mercy was always available to us, He gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In our Gospel, Jesus encounters the apostles after the resurrection and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus gave us the gift of this sacrament because He wants to help us reach eternal life. He knows we cannot do it without His merciful love, and a resolve to do better and to follow Him more faithfully. It starts with an awareness of our sins and a humble heart.

In our Second Reading, St. John helps us further understand this message of mercy. He says, “For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” We must be careful not to fall under the misconception of a false message of mercy — God’s mercy is abundant and readily available to us; however, we need to do our very best to actively live out our call as disciples of Christ. The times when we fall are the times we must seek God’s mercy, in addition to changing our ways to become a more faithful disciple. One way to tangibly help us achieve this is by doing a daily examen each night. If we take just a few minutes to reflect on our day with gratitude, acknowledge our sins, and pray for tomorrow’s events, surely we will grow on our path of discipleship.

Let us continue to celebrate today, as we are in the midst of our glorious Easter season! As we celebrate, may we recall the precious gift God has given to us through His Son — Mercy itself. May we never forget that, with a contrite heart and a resolution to do better, God is always willing to forgive. And may we never withhold merciful love from anyone we meet.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 07th April 2024

First reading
Acts 4:32-35
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul

    The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

    The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

    None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):2-4,15-18,22-24

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.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
    his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
    and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
    but not doomed to die.

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 John 5:1-6
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has already overcome the world

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been begotten by God;
and whoever loves the Father that begot him
loves the child whom he begets.
We can be sure that we love God’s children
if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us;
this is what loving God is –
keeping his commandments;
and his commandments are not difficult,
because anyone who has been begotten by God
has already overcome the world;
this is the victory over the world –
our faith.

Who can overcome the world?
Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God:
Jesus Christ who came by water and blood,
not with water only,
but with water and blood;
with the Spirit as another witness –
since the Spirit is the truth.

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 Reading: Sunday - 24th April 2022

First reading
Acts 5:12-16

The numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily

The faithful all used to meet by common consent in the Portico of Solomon. No one else ever dared to join them, but the people were loud in their praise and the numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily. So many signs and wonders were worked among the people at the hands of the apostles that the sick were even taken out into the streets and laid on beds and sleeping-mats in the hope that at least the shadow of Peter might fall across some of them as he went past. People even came crowding in from the towns round about Jerusalem, bringing with them their sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were cured.

The word of the Lord.

_______

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):2-4,22-27

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.

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.

O Lord, grant us salvation;
    O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
    is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
    the Lord God is our light.

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

________

Second reading
Apocalypse 1:9-13,17-19
I was dead, and now I am to live for ever and ever

My name is John, and through our union in Jesus I am your brother and share your sufferings, your kingdom, and all you endure. I was on the island of Patmos for having preached God’s word and witnessed for Jesus; it was the Lord’s day and the Spirit possessed me, and I heard a voice behind me, shouting like a trumpet, ‘Write down all that you see in a book.’ I turned round to see who had spoken to me, and when I turned I saw seven golden lamp-stands and, surrounded by them, a figure like a Son of man, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist with a golden girdle.

    When I saw him, I fell in a dead faint at his feet, but he touched me with his right hand and said, ‘Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of the underworld. Now write down all that you see of present happenings and things that are still to come.’

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 - 24th April 2022

 

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter; more recently in our Church’s history, it has become known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Our Gospel reading from St. John is often referred to as the story of “Doubting Thomas” but the passage involves so much more than the encounter with the skeptical apostle. It is rich with lessons of Christ’s mercy to all, including an encouraging word from our Lord, especially for us, His modern-day disciples.

While Thomas traditionally takes all the bad rap for his doubts, we see that none of the Apostles were at their best when Christ first appears to them after His resurrection. The passage says that they were in hiding, cowering behind a locked door because they were afraid of what the Jews might do to them for their association with Jesus. They were paralyzed by fear and doubt. 

But Jesus appeared right in their midst in spite of the lock on the door. Was it to rebuke them for their lack of faith? To chide them for abandoning Him when He needed them most? To call them out for being so wimpy? Quite the contrary. 

He comes on a mission of mercy. He comes to offer them peace and the restoration of their relationship with Him. And even more, He commissions them to become ministers of His mercy, by giving them the authority to forgive sins. “Peace be with you,” He says. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you…. Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” At that moment Christ gives to all of us the supreme gift of mercy — the sacrament of Reconciliation. What a precious and powerful gift is this divine mercy.

This Sunday of mercy in this Easter season of mercy is a perfect time to reflect on how well we make use of the gift of Reconciliation. Do we really appreciate the healing power of this sacrament? The infusion of grace, the freeing power of knowing we are forgiven, the increase in self-knowledge, and intimacy with our Lord? Could we become better stewards of this gift by going to Confession more often and by encouraging our loved ones to do so as well?

Today is also an opportune time to examine how generously we offer the gift of mercy to those around us. When Thomas obstinately declared he would not believe in the risen Christ unless he could see for himself the mark of the nails in His hands and put his fingers into the nail marks and put his hands into His sides, our Lord does not become indignant. He offers mercy. Jesus graciously gives Thomas the very thing Thomas is asking for — a real and personal encounter with Him, the chance to literally touch His sacred wounds to heal Thomas from his doubts. When we are disbelieved or disrespected, do we respond as Jesus did, with humility and magnanimity and compassion, the very hallmarks of mercy?

Interestingly, we will find that the more deeply we embrace the gift of mercy through regular Confession, the greater will be our capacity to offer mercy to others because we will see ourselves as really truly are — forgiven sinners deeply loved by God. Let’s commit ourselves to become faithful disciples, stewards of Christ’s mercy 2,000 years after His Resurrection. We will be those very ones to whom Jesus gave a “shout out” during His encounter with Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” — in His merciful love.