Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 8, 2020
First Reading: Acts 13.26-33
26"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.27For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.28And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.29And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.30But God raised him from the dead,31and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.32And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,33this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "'You are my Son, today I have begotten you.'
Psalm 2
1Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,3"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."4He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.5Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,6"As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."7I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.9You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."10Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Gospel: John 14.1-6
1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.2In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.4And you know the way to where I am going."5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the heart of our faith: the promise of salvation and the assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ. In the first reading from Acts, Paul preaches to the people, recounting how the rulers of Jerusalem failed to recognize Jesus as the Savior and instead condemned Him to death. Yet, as Paul emphasizes, God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, fulfilling the promises made to the fathers and offering salvation to all. This passage reminds us that the story of Jesus is not just a historical event but a living truth that continues to shape our lives today.
In the Gospel, Jesus offers words of comfort to His disciples, who are troubled by the thought of His departure. He reassures them, saying, "Do not let your heart be troubled," and promises to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. When Thomas expresses uncertainty about the way forward, Jesus responds with one of the most profound statements in Scripture: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." These words are not just a reassurance to the disciples but a timeless invitation to all of us to place our trust in Him.
The connection between the two readings lies in their focus on the hope and assurance that come from faith in Jesus. Paul’s message in Acts emphasizes that the resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises, while John’s Gospel highlights Jesus as the ultimate source of truth and life. Together, they remind us that our faith is rooted in the conviction that Jesus is our way to the Father and that His promises are trustworthy. As we navigate the uncertainties of life, we are called to live with hope, knowing that our ultimate home is with God. Let us strive to trust in Jesus, to follow Him as the Way, and to live as witnesses to the truth and love He has revealed to us.