Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 2, 2021
First Reading: Acts 9.26-31
26And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple27But Barnabas took him aside and led him to the Apostles. And he explained to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how, in Damascus, he had acted faithfully in the name of Jesus28And he was with them, entering and departing Jerusalem, and acting faithfully in the name of the Lord29He also was speaking with the Gentiles and disputing with the Greeks. But they were seeking to kill him30And when the brothers had realized this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus31Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit
Psalm 22
1Unto the end. For the tasks of early morning. A Psalm of David. O God, my God, look upon me. Why have you forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my offenses2My God, I will cry out by day, and you will not heed, and by night, and it will not be foolishness for me3But you dwell in holiness, O Praise of Israel4In you, our fathers have hoped. They hoped, and you freed them5They cried out to you, and they were saved. In you, they hoped and were not confounded6But I am a worm and not a man: a disgrace among men, and an outcast of the people7All those who saw me have derided me. They have spoken with the lips and shook the head8He has hoped in the Lord, let him rescue him. Let him save him because he chooses him9For you are the one who has drawn me out of the womb, my hope from the breasts of my mother10I have been thrown upon you from the womb; from the womb of my mother, you are my God11Do not depart from me. For tribulation is near, since there is no one who may help me12Many calves have surrounded me; fat bulls have besieged me13They have opened their mouths over me, just like a lion seizing and roaring14And so, I have been poured out like water, and all my bones have been scattered. My heart has become like wax, melting in the midst of my chest15My strength has dried up like clay, and my tongue has adhered to my jaws. And you have pulled me down, into the dust of death16For many dogs have surrounded me. The council of the malicious has besieged me. They have pierced my hands and feet17They have numbered all my bones. And they have examined me and stared at me18They divided my garments among them, and over my vestment, they cast lots19But you, O Lord, do not take your help far from me; be attentive to my defense20O God, rescue my soul from the spear, and my only one from the hand of the dog21Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my humility from the horns of the single-horned beast22I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the Church, I will praise you23You who fear the Lord, praise him. All the offspring of Jacob, glorify him24May all the offspring of Israel fear him. For he has neither spurned nor despised the pleas of the poor. Neither has he turned his face away from me. And when I cried out to him, he heeded me25My praise is with you, within a great church. I will pay my vows in the sight of those who fear him26The poor will eat and be satisfied, and those who yearn for the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will live forever and ever27All the ends of the earth will remember, and they will be converted to the Lord. And all the families of the Gentiles will adore in his sight28For the kingdom belongs to the Lord, and he will have dominion over the Gentiles29All the fat of the earth have gnashed their teeth, and they have adored. In his sight, they will fall down, all those who descend to the ground30And my soul will live for him, and my offspring will serve him31There will be announced for the Lord a future generation, and the heavens will announce his justice to a people who will be born, whom the Lord has made
Second Reading: 1 John 3.18-24
18My little sons, let us not love in words only, but in works and in truth19In this way, we will know that we are of the truth, and we will commend our hearts in his sight20For even if our heart reproaches us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things21Most beloved, if our heart does not reproach us, we can have confidence toward God22and whatever we shall request of him, we shall receive from him. For we keep his commandments, and we do the things that are pleasing in his sight23And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us24And those who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And we know that he abides in us by this: by the Spirit, whom he has given to us
Gospel: John 15.1-8
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away. And each one that does bear fruit, he will cleanse, so that it may bring forth more fruit3You are clean now, because of the word that I have spoken to you4Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so also are you unable, unless you abide in me5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you are able to do nothing6If anyone does not abide in me, he will be cast away, like a branch, and he will wither, and they will gather him and cast him into the fire, and he burns7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, then you may ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done for you8In this, my Father is glorified: that you should bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of community, love, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community struggling to trust Paul, the former persecutor, until Barnabas steps in to vouch for him. This moment reminds us that building trust and unity in the Church requires courage and the willingness to see the good in others. The second reading from 1 John emphasizes that love is not just a feeling but a commitment to actions that reflect God’s truth. John reminds us that our confidence before God comes from keeping his commandments and loving one another as he has loved us. Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to teach us about our dependence on him. He is the source of life and fruitfulness, and without him, we can do nothing.
These readings are deeply connected. The early Church in Acts was able to grow and flourish because its members walked in the fear of the Lord and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This growth was rooted in their faithfulness to God’s commandments and their love for one another, as 1 John describes. The Gospel takes this a step further by showing us that this love and faithfulness are only possible when we abide in Christ. Just as branches draw life from the vine, we draw spiritual life from Jesus. When we remain connected to him, we bear fruit that glorifies the Father.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine how we are living as part of God’s family. Are we like Barnabas, willing to extend trust and support to others? Are we loving not just in words but in deeds? Are we staying connected to Christ through prayer, the sacraments, and living according to his teachings? The moral lesson is clear: our faith is not a solitary journey but a communal one, and our fruitfulness comes from abiding in Christ and keeping his commandments. Let us ask for the grace to remain deeply rooted in him, so that we may bear fruit that lasts and bring glory to God.