Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 30, 2018

First Reading: Acts 14.5-18

⁵Now when an assault had been planned by the Gentiles and the Jews with their leaders, so that they might treat them with contempt and stone them⁶they, realizing this, fled together to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the entire surrounding region.⁷And they were evangelizing in that place.⁸And a certain man was sitting at Lystra, disabled in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked⁹This man heard Paul speaking. And Paul, gazing at him intently, and perceiving that he had faith, so that he might be healed¹⁰said with a loud voice, "Stand upright upon your feet!" And he leaped up and walked around¹¹But when the crowds had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods, having taken the likenesses of men, have descended to us!¹²And they called Barnabas, ‘Jupiter,’ yet truly they called Paul, ‘Mercury,’ because he was the lead speaker¹³Also, the priest of Jupiter, who was outside the city, in front of the gate, bringing in oxen and garlands, was willing to offer sacrifice with the people¹⁴And as soon as the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, had heard this, tearing their tunics, they leapt into the crowd, crying ou¹⁵and saying: "Men, why would you do this? We also are mortals, men like yourselves, preaching to you to be converted, from these vain things, to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them¹⁶In previous generations, he permitted all nations to walk in their own ways¹⁷But certainly, he did not leave himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness."¹⁸And by saying these things, they were barely able to restrain the crowds from immolating to them

Psalm 115

Psalms

Chapter 115

¹Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory²Give glory to your mercy and your truth, lest the Gentiles should say, "Where is their God?³But our God is in heaven. All things whatsoever that he has willed, he has done⁴The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men⁵They have mouths, and do not speak; they have eyes, and do not see⁶They have ears, and do not hear; they have noses, and do not smell⁷They have hands, and do not feel; they have feet, and do not walk. Neither will they cry out with their throat⁸Let those who make them become like them, along with all who trust in them⁹The house of Israel has hoped in the Lord. He is their helper and their protector¹⁰The house of Aaron has hoped in the Lord. He is their helper and their protector¹¹Those who fear the Lord have hoped in the Lord. He is their helper and their protector¹²The Lord has been mindful of us, and he has blessed us. He has blessed the house of Israel. He has blessed the house of Aaron¹³He has blessed all who fear the Lord, the small with the great¹⁴May the Lord add blessings upon you: upon you, and upon your sons¹⁵Blessed are you by the Lord, who made heaven and earth¹⁶The heaven of heaven is for the Lord, but the earth he has given to the sons of men¹⁷The dead will not praise you, Lord, and neither will all those who descend into Hell¹⁸But we who live will bless the Lord, from this time forward, and even forever

Sermon

In today's reading from Acts 14:5-18, we witness a pivotal moment in the missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. They find themselves in Lystra, where they heal a lame man, leading the crowd to mistakenly believe they are gods. Paul and Barnabas quickly correct this misconception, emphasizing their humanity and pointing the people to the one true God. This event occurs during Paul's first missionary journey, a time when he and Barnabas were spreading the Gospel across Asia Minor. Lystra, a city steeped in polytheistic beliefs, presented a unique challenge. The crowd's swift shift from attempting to stone them to deifying them illustrates the volatile nature of human perception. Paul and Barnabas's immediate correction highlights their commitment to humility and their devotion to God. In our daily lives, we may face situations where our actions are misunderstood or where credit is misplaced. Like Paul and Barnabas, we must remain humble, ensuring that glory is given to God rather than ourselves. This passage reminds us to boldly share our faith, correcting misconceptions and directing others to the divine. The moral lesson here is clear: in all we do, we must trust in God's providence and remain steadfast in our commitment to His truth, avoiding the temptation of personal glory and instead reflecting His light to the world.