Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 4, 2023

First Reading: Acts 13.13-25

¹³And when Paul and those who were with him had sailed from Paphos, they arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. Then John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem¹⁴Yet truly, they, traveling on from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. And upon entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down¹⁵Then, after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent to them, saying: "Noble brothers, if there is in you any word of exhortation to the people, speak.¹⁶Then Paul, rising up and motioning for silence with his hand, said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen closely¹⁷The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they were settlers in the land of Egypt. And with an exalted arm, he led them away from there¹⁸And throughout a time of forty years, he endured their behavior in the desert¹⁹And by destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land among them by lot²⁰after about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them judges, even until the prophet Samuel²¹And later on, they petitioned for a king. And God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years²²And having removed him, he raised up for them king David. And offering testimony about him, he said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man according to my own heart, who will accomplish all that I will.²³From his offspring, according to the Promise, God has brought Jesus the Savior to Israel²⁴John was preaching, before the face of his advent, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel²⁵Then, when John completed his course, he was saying: ‘I am not the one you consider me to be. For behold, one arrives after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loosen.

Psalm 89

Psalms

Chapter 89

¹The understanding of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation²For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there³I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant⁴I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation⁵The heavens will confess your miracles, Lord, and also your truth, in the Church of the saints⁶For who among the clouds is equal to the Lord? Who among the sons of God is like God⁷God is glorified by the counsel of the saints. He is great and terrible above all those who are around him⁸O Lord, God of hosts, who is like you? You are powerful, Lord, and your truth is all around you⁹You rule over the power of the sea, and you even mitigate the movement of its waves¹⁰You have humbled the arrogant one, like one who has been wounded. You have scattered your enemies with the arm of your strength¹¹Yours are the heavens, and yours is the earth. You founded the whole world in all its fullness¹²You created the north and the sea. Tabor and Hermon will exult in your name¹³Your arm acts with power. Let your hand be strengthened, and let your right hand be exalted¹⁴Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne. Mercy and truth will precede your face¹⁵Blessed is the people that knows jubilation. They will walk in the light of your countenance, O Lord¹⁶and they will exult in your name all day long, and they will be exalted in your justice¹⁷For you are the glory of their virtue, and in your goodness, our horn will be exalted¹⁸For our assumption is of the Lord, and it is of our king, the holy one of Israel¹⁹Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones, and you said: I have stationed help with the powerful one, and I have exalted the elect one from my people²⁰I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil²¹For my hand will assist him, and my arm will fortify him²²The enemy will have no advantage over him, nor will the son of iniquity be positioned to harm him²³And I will cut down his enemies before his face. And those who hate him, I will turn to flight²⁴And my truth and my mercy will be with him. And his horn will be exalted in my name²⁵And I will place his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers²⁶He will invoke me: "You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.²⁷And I will make him the first-born, preeminent before the kings of the earth²⁸I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully²⁹And I will set his offspring from generation to generation, and his throne like the days of heaven³⁰But if his sons abandon my law, and if they do not walk in my judgments³¹if they profane my justices, and if they do not keep my commandments³²I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with a beating³³But I will not scatter my mercy from him, and I will not do harm to my truth³⁴And I will not profane my covenant, and I will not make void that which proceeds from my lips³⁵I have sworn by my holiness one time: I will not lie to David³⁶his offspring will remain for eternity. And his throne will be like the sun in my sight³⁷and, like the moon, it is perfected in eternity, and it is a faithful witness in heaven³⁸Yet, truly, you have rejected and despised, you have pushed away, my Christ³⁹You have overthrown the covenant of your servant. You have profaned his sanctuary on earth⁴⁰You have destroyed all his fences. You have made his territory dreadful⁴¹All who pass by the way have plundered him. He has become a disgrace to his neighbors⁴²You have exalted the right hand of those who oppress him. You have brought joy to all his enemies⁴³You have diverted the help of his sword, and you have not assisted him in battle⁴⁴You have torn him away from cleansing, and you have smashed his throne down to the ground⁴⁵You have reduced the days of his time. You have flooded him with confusion⁴⁶How long, O Lord? Will you turn away unto the end? Will your wrath flare up like a fire⁴⁷Remember what my substance is. For could you really have appointed all the sons of men in vain⁴⁸Who is the man that will live, and yet not see death? Who will rescue his own soul from the hand of the underworld⁴⁹O Lord, where are your mercies of antiquity, just as you swore to David in your truth⁵⁰Be mindful, O Lord, of the disgrace of your servants (which I have sustained in my sinews) among many nations⁵¹With these, your enemies have reproached you, O Lord; with these, they have reproached the commutation of your Christ⁵²Blessed is the Lord for all eternity. Amen. Amen

Gospel: John 13.16-20

John

Chapter 13

¹⁶Amen, amen, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, and the apostle is not greater than he who sent him¹⁷If you understand this, you shall be blessed if you will do it¹⁸I am not speaking about all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But this is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me shall lift up his heel against me.¹⁹And I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it has happened, you may believe that I am²⁰Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives anyone whom I send, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we journey through two significant moments in the narrative of our faith. The first reading from Acts 13:13-25 captures Paul’s sermon in the synagogue of Antioch, where he traces the history of God’s covenant with Israel, culminating in the arrival of Jesus as the Savior. Paul’s message is one of fulfillment, showing how Jesus is the pinnacle of God’s plan for His people. The second reading, John 13:16-20, finds Jesus at the Last Supper, imparting a lesson on servant leadership and foretelling the betrayal He will endure, emphasizing the unity between Himself and the Father. The context of these readings is pivotal. Paul, on his missionary journey, is addressing a Jewish audience, linking Jesus to their rich history to illustrate the fulfillment of prophecy. This approach helps his listeners connect their traditions with the new covenant. In John’s Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure, highlighting the challenges they will face and the importance of remaining faithful. Both readings underscore themes of divine mission and trust in God’s plan. These passages relate through their emphasis on mission and trust. Paul’s historical recap in Acts mirrors Jesus’ words in John, both calling for faith in God’s plan. Paul shows God’s faithfulness through history, while Jesus prepares His disciples for future trials, reinforcing the importance of trust. Together, they remind us that our faith is rooted in God’s providence and that our actions reflect our commitment to His will. Applying this to our daily lives, we are called to trust in God’s plan, even when uncertain. Our faithfulness, like Paul’s and the disciples’, should manifest in our actions and decisions. Recognizing that our efforts, whether large or small, are part of a greater divine mission, we are encouraged to embrace our roles with dedication and love. The moral lesson here is clear: trust in God’s providence and remain faithful. Just as Paul and the disciples trusted in their missions, we too must trust in God’s guidance. Our service to others is a reflection of our love for God, and through our actions, we embody the teachings of Christ. Let us strive to live with this trust and faithfulness, knowing that our efforts contribute to a larger purpose.