Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 21, 2019
First Reading: Acts 10.34a, 37-43
34Then, Peter, opening his mouth, said: "I have concluded in truth that God is not a respecter of persons37You know that the Word has been made known throughout all Judea. For beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached38Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, traveled around doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. For God was with him39And we are witnesses of all that he did in the region of Judea and in Jerusalem, he whom they killed by hanging him on a tree40God raised him up on the third day and permitted him to be made manifest41not to all the people, but to the witnesses preordained by God, to those of us who ate and drank with him after he rose again from the dead42And he instructed us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the One who was appointed by God to be the judge of the living and of the dead43To him all the Prophets offer testimony that through his name all who believe in him receive the remission of sins.
Psalm 118
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is forever2Let Israel now say: For he is good, for his mercy is forever3Let the house of Aaron now say: For his mercy is forever4Let those who fear the Lord now say: For his mercy is forever5In my tribulation, I called upon the Lord. And the Lord heeded me with generosity6The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me7The Lord is my helper. And I will look down upon my enemies8It is good to trust in the Lord, rather than to trust in man9It is good to hope in the Lord, rather than to hope in leaders10All the nations have surrounded me. And, in the name of the Lord, I have been avenged over them11Surrounding me, they closed in on me. And, in the name of the Lord, I have been avenged over them12They surrounded me like a swarm, and they burned like fire among the thorns. And, in the name of the Lord, I have been avenged over them13Having been pushed, I was overturned so as to fall. But the Lord took me up14The Lord is my strength and my praise. And he has become my salvation15A voice of exultation and salvation is in the tabernacles of the just16The right hand of the Lord has wrought virtue. The right hand of the Lord has exalted me. The right hand of the Lord has wrought virtue17I will not die, but I will live. And I will declare the works of the Lord18When chastising, the Lord chastised me. But he has not delivered me over to death19Open the gates of justice to me. I will enter them, and I will confess to the Lord20This is the gate of the Lord. The just will enter by it21I will confess to you because you have heard me. And you have become my salvation22The stone which the builders have rejected, this has become the head of the corner23By the Lord has this been done, and it is a wonder before our eyes24This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us exult and rejoice in it25O Lord, grant salvation to me. O Lord, grant good prosperity26Blessed is he who arrives in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord27The Lord is God, and he has enlightened us. Establish a solemn day amid a dense crowd, even to the horn of the altar28You are my God, and I will confess to you. You are my God, and I will exalt you. I will confess to you, for you have heeded me. And you have become my salvation29Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is forever
Second Reading: Colossians 3.1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8
1Therefore, if you have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God2Consider the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth3For you have died, and so your life is hidden with Christ in God4When Christ, your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory
6It is not good for you to glory. Do you not know that a little leaven corrupts the entire mass7Purge the old leaven, so that you may become the new bread, for you are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover, has now been immolated8And so, let us feast, not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
Gospel: John 20.1-9
1Then on the first Sabbath, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb2Therefore, she ran and went to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, "They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.3Therefore, Peter departed with the other disciple, and they went to the tomb4Now they both ran together, but the other disciple ran more quickly, ahead of Peter, and so he arrived at the tomb first5And when he bowed down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not yet enter6Then Simon Peter arrived, following him, and he entered the tomb, and he saw the linen cloths lying there7and the separate cloth which had been over his head, not placed with the linen cloths, but in a separate place, wrapped up by itself8Then the other disciple, who had arrived first at the tomb, also entered. And he saw and believed9For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that it was necessary for him to rise again from the dead
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of Christ’s resurrection and its transformative power in our lives. In the first reading from Acts, Peter proclaims the universal message of salvation, emphasizing that God does not show favoritism and that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the fulfillment of God’s plan. This passage reminds us that the Gospel is for all people, and it calls us to be witnesses of Christ’s love and redemption. The second reading from Colossians encourages us to live with our hearts set on heavenly things, for our true life is hidden with Christ in God. This is a call to detach ourselves from worldly concerns and to seek what truly lasts. In the Gospel, John’s account of the empty tomb highlights the astonishment and faith of the disciples as they encounter the reality of the resurrection. The carefully folded linens and the separate cloth suggest order and purpose, hinting at the divine plan behind Christ’s rising.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Peter’s testimony in Acts flows from the event of the resurrection, which is the foundation of our faith. The Colossians reading builds on this by urging us to live in the light of Christ’s victory over death. The Gospel narrative of the empty tomb serves as the historical and spiritual anchor for both. Together, they remind us that the resurrection is not just an event of the past but a living reality that shapes our present and future.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Are we living as people who have been raised with Christ? Do we seek the things that are above, or are we still mired in earthly concerns? The resurrection calls us to hope, to trust in God’s plan, and to live with joy and purpose. Like the disciples, we are called to enter the tomb of our fears, doubts, and limitations, and to emerge with renewed faith and courage. Let us allow the power of the resurrection to transform us, so that we may bear witness to Christ’s love in a world that so desperately needs it.