Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 3, 2018
First Reading: Acts 2.36-41
36Therefore, may the entire house of Israel know most certainly that God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.37Now when they had heard these things, they were contrite in heart, and they said to Peter and to the other Apostles: "What should we do, noble brothers?38Yet truly, Peter said to them: "Do penance; and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit39For the Promise is for you and for your sons, and for all who are far away: for whomever the Lord our God will have called.40And then, with very many other words, he testified and he exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this depraved generation.41Therefore, those who accepted his discourse were baptized. And about three thousand souls were added on that day
Psalm 33
1A Psalm of David. Exult in the Lord, you just ones; together praise the upright2Confess to the Lord with stringed instruments; sing psalms to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings3Sing to him a new song. Sing psalms to him skillfully, with loud exclamation4For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his works are in faith5He loves mercy and judgment. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord6By the word of the Lord, the heavens were established, and all their power, by the Spirit of his mouth7gathering together the waters of the sea, as if in a container, placing the depths in storage8Let all the earth fear the Lord, and may all the inhabitants of the world quake before him9For he spoke, and they became. He commanded, and they were created10The Lord scatters the counsels of the nations. Moreover, he reproves the thoughts of the people, and he rejects the counsels of the leaders11But the counsel of the Lord remains for eternity, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his inheritance13The Lord has looked down from heaven. He has seen all the sons of men14From his well-prepared dwelling place, he has gazed upon all who dwell on the earth15He has formed the hearts of each one of them; he understands all their works16The king is not saved by great power, nor will the giant be saved by his many powers17The horse is false safety; for he will not be saved by the abundance of his powers18Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him and on those who hope in his mercy19so as to rescue their souls from death and to feed them during famine20Our soul remains with the Lord. For he is our helper and protector21For in him, our heart will rejoice, and in his holy name, we have hoped22Let your mercy be upon us, O Lord, just as we have hoped in you
Gospel: John 20.11-18
11But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping. Then, while she was weeping, she bowed down and gazed into the tomb12And she saw two Angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been placed, one at the head, and one at the feet13They say to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have placed him.14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus15Jesus said to her: "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?" Considering that it was the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have moved him, tell me where you have placed him, and I will take him away.16Jesus said to her, "Mary!" And turning, she said to him, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher)17Jesus said to her: "Do not touch me. For I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them: ‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.’ 18Mary Magdalene went, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord, and these are the things that he said to me.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and response to Jesus. The First Reading from Acts describes Peter's sermon at Pentecost, where he proclaims Jesus as Lord and Christ, leading the crowd to repentance and baptism, resulting in three thousand conversions. This moment marks the birth of the Church, driven by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel from John presents Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus at the tomb. Her grief turns to joy as she recognizes Jesus and is tasked with spreading the news of His resurrection to the disciples.
Both readings highlight the transformative power of faith. In Acts, the community responds collectively through repentance and baptism, while in John, Mary's personal faith leads her to become the first evangelist. These stories show how faith, whether individual or communal, compels us to action and sharing the Good News.
In our daily lives, we are called to recognize Jesus in our midst, just as Mary did. Like Peter, we must embrace the Holy Spirit's guidance to live out our faith. The moral lesson is clear: faith should inspire us to act, whether through personal conversion or sharing the Gospel with others. Let us, like Mary, joyfully proclaim Jesus's presence in our lives, embodying the faith that transforms and unites us.