Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 29, 2017
First Reading: Acts 19.1-8
1Now it happened that, while Apollo was at Corinth, Paul, after he had journeyed through the upper regions, arrived at Ephesus. And he met with certain disciples2And he said to them, "After believing, have you received the Holy Spirit?" But they said to him, "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.3Yet truly, he said, "Then with what have you been baptized?" And they said, "With the baptism of John.4Then Paul said: "John baptized the people with the baptism of repentance, saying that they should believe in the One who is to come after him, that is, in Jesus.5Upon hearing these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus6And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came over them. And they were speaking in tongues and prophesying7Now the men were about twelve in all8Then, upon entering the synagogue, he was speaking faithfully for three months, disputing and persuading them about the kingdom of God
Psalm 68
1Unto the end. A Canticle Psalm of David himself. May God rise up, and may his enemies be scattered, and may those who hate him flee from before his face2Just as smoke vanishes, so may they vanish. Just as wax flows away before the face of fire, so may sinners pass away before the face of God3And so, let the just feast, and let them exult in the sight of God and be delighted in gladness4Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name. Make a path for him, who ascends over the west. The Lord is his name. Exult in his sight; they will be stirred up before his face5the father of orphans and the judge of widows. God is in his holy place6It is God who makes men dwell in a house under one custom. He leads out those who are strongly bound, and similarly, those who exasperate, who dwell in sepulchers7O God, when you departed in the sight of your people, when you passed through the desert8the earth was moved, for the heavens rained down before the face of the God of Sinai, before the face of the God of Israel9You will set aside for your inheritance, O God, a willing rain. And though it was weak, truly, you have made it perfect10Your animals will dwell in it. O God, in your sweetness, you have provided for the poor11The Lord will give the word to evangelizers, along with great virtue12The King of virtue is beloved among the beloved. And the beauty of the house will divide spoils13If you take your rest in the midst of the clergy, you will be like a dove whose wings are covered with fine silver and edged with pale gold14When heaven discerns kings to be over her, they will be whitened with the snows of Zalmon15The mountain of God is a fat mountain, a dense mountain, a thick mountain16So then, why are you distrustful of dense mountains? The mountain on which God is well pleased to dwell, even there, the Lord will dwell until the end17The chariot of God is ten thousand fold: thousands rejoice. The Lord is with them in Sinai, in the holy place18You have ascended on high; you have taken captivity captive. You have accepted gifts among men. For even those who do not believe dwell with the Lord God19Blessed is the Lord, day after day. The God of our salvation will make our journey prosper for us20Our God is the God who will bring about our salvation, and our Lord is the Lord who has brought an end to death21So then, truly, God will break the heads of his enemies, the hairy skull of those who wander around in their offenses22The Lord said: I will turn them away from Bashan, I will turn them into the depths of the sea23so that your feet may be soaked in the blood of your enemies, so that the tongue of your dogs may be soaked with the same24O God, they have seen your arrival, the arrival of my God, of my king who is in a holy place25The leaders went ahead, united with the singers of psalms, in the midst of girls playing on timbrels26In the churches, bless the Lord God from the fountains of Israel27In that place, Benjamin is a youth in ecstasy of mind. The leaders of Judah are their governors: the leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali28Command by your virtue, O God. Confirm in this place, O God, what you have wrought in us29Before your temple in Jerusalem, kings will offer gifts to you30Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, a congregation of bulls with the cows of the people, for they seek to exclude those who have been tested like silver. Scatter the nations that are pleased by wars31Ambassadors will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will offer in advance her hands to God32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. Sing psalms to the Lord. Sing psalms to God33He ascends, up to the heaven of the heavens, toward the east. Behold, he will utter his voice, the voice of virtue34Give glory to God beyond Israel. His magnificence and his virtue is in the clouds35God is wonderful in his saints. The God of Israel himself will give virtue and strength to his people. Blessed is God
Gospel: John 16.29-33
29His disciples said to him: "Behold, now you are speaking plainly and not reciting a proverb30Now we know that you know all things, and that you have no need for anyone to question you. By this, we believe that you went forth from God.31Jesus answered them: "Do you believe now32Behold, the hour is coming, and it has now arrived, when you will be scattered, each one on his own, and you will leave me behind, alone. And yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me33These things I have spoken to you, so that you may have peace in me. In the world, you will have difficulties. But have confidence: I have overcome the world.
Sermon
Dear friends, in today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments in the early Christian community and the life of Jesus. In the first reading from Acts, Paul meets some disciples in Ephesus who had only received John’s baptism and hadn’t heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains that John’s baptism was a call to repentance, preparing the way for Jesus. These disciples then receive baptism in Jesus’ name, and through Paul’s laying on of hands, they experience the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying. This event highlights the transition from the preparatory baptism of John to the fullness of Christian baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about their growing faith. They acknowledge that He speaks plainly and that they believe He comes from God. Jesus affirms their faith but also warns them about the challenges ahead. He tells them that they will be scattered, but He won’t be alone because the Father is with Him. Jesus offers these words so that they, and we, may have peace in Him and confidence that He has overcome the world.
These readings remind us of the essential role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Just as those disciples in Ephesus needed to move beyond John’s baptism to receive the fullness of the Spirit, we too are called to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. In a world filled with challenges, Jesus assures us of His peace and victory. Let us trust in His power, knowing that through the Spirit, we can overcome any difficulty. May we, like those early disciples, be bold in our faith and open to the gifts of the Spirit, living each day with the confidence that Jesus has indeed overcome the world.