Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 11, 2017
First Reading: Acts 13.13-25
13And when Paul and those who were with him had sailed from Paphos, they arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. Then John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem14Yet truly, they, traveling on from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. And upon entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down15Then, after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent to them, saying: "Noble brothers, if there is in you any word of exhortation to the people, speak.16Then Paul, rising up and motioning for silence with his hand, said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen closely17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they were settlers in the land of Egypt. And with an exalted arm, he led them away from there18And throughout a time of forty years, he endured their behavior in the desert19And by destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land among them by lot20after about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them judges, even until the prophet Samuel21And later on, they petitioned for a king. And God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years22And having removed him, he raised up for them king David. And offering testimony about him, he said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man according to my own heart, who will accomplish all that I will.23From his offspring, according to the Promise, God has brought Jesus the Savior to Israel24John was preaching, before the face of his advent, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel25Then, when John completed his course, he was saying: ‘I am not the one you consider me to be. For behold, one arrives after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loosen.
Psalm 89
1The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation2For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there3I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant4I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation5The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints6For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God7God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him8O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you9You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves10You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength11Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness12You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name13Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted14Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face15Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord16and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice17For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted18For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel19Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil21For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him22The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him23And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight24And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name25And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers26He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.27And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth28I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully29And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven30But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments31if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments32I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating33But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth34And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips35I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David36his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight37and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven38Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ39You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth40You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful41All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors42You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies43You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle44You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground45You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion46How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire47Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain48Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld49O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth50Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations51With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ52Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen
Gospel: John 13.16-20
16Amen, amen, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, and the apostle is not greater than he who sent him17If you understand this, you shall be blessed if you will do it18I am not speaking about all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But this is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me shall lift up his heel against me.19And I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it has happened, you may believe that I am20Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives anyone whom I send, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to humility, service, and trust in God’s plan. In the first reading from Acts, Paul preaches in the synagogue at Antioch, recounting the history of Israel and highlighting God’s faithfulness. He explains how God chose the Israelites, led them through the wilderness, and ultimately sent Jesus as the Savior. Paul’s words remind us that our faith is rooted in a long history of God’s love and providence. In the Gospel, Jesus humbles himself as a servant, washing the feet of his disciples, and teaches that true greatness comes from serving others. He also warns of betrayal, reminding us that even in the face of rejection, we must remain faithful to our mission.
Both readings emphasize the importance of humility and trust in God’s plan. Paul’s sermon in Acts shows how God’s plan unfolds over time, and how we are part of a larger story. Jesus, in the Gospel, models humility by serving his disciples, showing us that leadership is not about power but about love and sacrifice. These readings are connected by the theme of service and trust. Just as Paul trusted in God’s plan to preach the Gospel, Jesus trusted in his Father’s will, even when it led to suffering.
In our daily lives, we are called to embrace humility and service. Like Paul, we must trust in God’s plan, even when the path is uncertain. Like Jesus, we must be willing to serve others, even when it requires sacrifice. Let us ask ourselves: Am I living a life of humility and service? Am I trusting in God’s plan, even when it challenges me? May these readings inspire us to follow Jesus’ example, to serve others with love, and to trust in God’s providence.