Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 26, 2023
First Reading: Acts 8.1b-8
1Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles2But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him3Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison4Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God5Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them6And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing7For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them8And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured
Psalm 66
1Unto the end. A Canticle Psalm of the Resurrection. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth2Proclaim a psalm to his name. Give glory to his praise3Exclaim to God, "How terrible are your works, O Lord!" According to the fullness of your virtue, your enemies will speak lies about you4Let all the earth adore you and sing psalms to you. May it sing a psalm to your name5Draw near and see the works of God, who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men6He converts the sea into dry land. They will cross the river on foot. There, we will rejoice in him7He rules by his virtue for eternity. His eyes gaze upon the nations. May those who exasperate him, not be exalted in themselves8Bless our God, you Gentiles, and make the voice of his praise be heard9He has set my soul toward life, and he has granted that my feet may not be shaken10For you, O God, have tested us. You have examined us by fire, just as silver is examined11You have led us into a snare. You have placed tribulations on our back12You have set men over our heads. We have crossed through fire and water. And you have led us out to refreshment13I will enter your house with holocausts. I will repay my vows to you14which my lips discerned and my mouth spoke, in my tribulation15I will offer to you holocausts full of marrow, with the burnt offerings of rams. I will offer to you bulls as well as goats16Draw near and listen, all you who fear God, and I will describe to you how much he has done for my soul17I cried out to him with my mouth, and I extolled him under my breath18If I have seen iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not heed me19And yet, God has heeded me and he has attended to the voice of my supplication20Blessed is God, who has not removed my prayer, nor his mercy, from me
Gospel: John 6.35-40
35Then Jesus said to them: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst36But I say to you, that even though you have seen me, you do not believe37All that the Father gives to me shall come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will not cast out38For I descended from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me39Yet this is the will of the Father who sent me: that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given to me, but that I should raise them up on the last day40So then, this is the will of my Father who sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Sermon
In today's readings, we hear of the early Church facing persecution and the profound message of Jesus as the bread of life. The first reading from Acts describes a time of great turmoil for the Church, as believers were dispersed following Stephen's martyrdom. Yet, amidst this chaos, Philip ventures to Samaria, preaching Christ and performing miracles, which brings healing and unity to the people. This narrative highlights the resilience of faith and the Church's mission to spread God's word even in adversity.
The Gospel from John presents Jesus' declaration as the bread of life, emphasizing that those who come to Him will find eternal sustenance. Jesus assures that all given to Him by the Father will be welcomed and raised on the last day. This discourse underscores the central Christian belief in Jesus as the source of eternal life and the importance of trusting in God's plan.
These readings remind us that our faith, like that of the early Christians, must persevere through life's challenges. Just as Philip trusted God's guidance to Samaria, we too can face our trials with courage, knowing that our ultimate hope lies in Jesus. Let us draw strength from His promise, trusting that He will see us through every difficulty, and may our lives reflect the same unwavering commitment to sharing God's love.