Daily Readings - Sun May 03 2020

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and he spoke to them: "Men of Judea, and all those who are staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and incline your ears to my words³⁶Therefore, 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

1 Peter

Chapter 2

²⁰For what glory is there, if you sin and then suffer a beating? But if you do well and suffer patiently, this is grace with God²¹For you have been called to this because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in his footsteps²²He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth²³And when evil was spoken against him, he did not speak evil. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Then he handed himself over to him who judged him unjustly²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree, so that we, having died to sin, would live for justice. By his wounds, you have been healed²⁵For you were like wandering sheep. But now you have been turned back toward the Pastor and the Bishop of your souls

John

Chapter 10

¹"Amen, amen, I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up by another way, he is a thief and a robber²But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out⁴And when he has sent out his sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice⁵But they do not follow a stranger; instead they flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.⁶Jesus spoke this proverb to them. But they did not understand what he was saying to them⁷Therefore, Jesus spoke to them again: "Amen, amen, I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep⁸All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to them⁹I am the door. If anyone has entered through me, he will be saved. And he shall go in and go out, and he shall find pastures¹⁰The thief does not come, except so that he may steal and slaughter and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it more abundantly

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about faith, redemption, and the true nature of our relationship with God. The first reading from Acts describes the pivotal moment after Pentecost, where Peter's impassioned speech leads thousands to baptism, illustrating the transformative power of faith and the early church's rapid growth. The second reading from 1 Peter emphasizes enduring suffering with patience, using Christ's example of sinless endurance, reminding us that our sins are borne by Him for us to live justly. The Gospel from John presents Jesus as the door to the sheepfold, offering salvation and abundant life, contrasting with those who would harm, reinforcing Jesus as our true Shepherd. These readings are deeply connected, each highlighting Jesus as the source of salvation and guidance. Acts shows the communal response to faith, 1 Peter focuses on individual endurance inspired by Christ's example, and John's Gospel symbolizes Jesus as the sole entry to eternal life. Together, they call us to recognize Jesus as our Shepherd, guiding us through life's trials. In daily life, this means trusting Jesus as our guide, especially in challenging times. The moral lesson is clear: by following Jesus, we find abundant life and the strength to endure patiently, trusting in His divine plan. Let us embrace this truth, allowing His guidance to lead us to a life of purpose and peace.