Daily Catholic Mass Readings for May 14, 2023
First Reading: Acts 8.5-8, 14-17
5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.6And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.7For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.8So there was much joy in that city.14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,16for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.17Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 66
1Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!3Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." Selah5Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,7who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations--let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah8Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,9who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.10For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.11You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.13I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,14that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah16Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.18If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.19But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.20Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3.15-18
15but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;16yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Gospel: John 14.15-21
15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.18"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful themes of faith, the Holy Spirit, and living out our beliefs with integrity. The first reading from Acts describes Philip’s missionary work in Samaria, where he preaches and performs miracles, leading many to faith. The Apostles then send Peter and John to confer the Holy Spirit upon the new believers through the laying on of hands. This passage highlights the early Church’s structure and the essential role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers.
The second reading from 1 Peter emphasizes the importance of sanctifying Christ in our hearts and being prepared to share our faith with others. Peter encourages believers to live with meekness and a clear conscience, even in the face of suffering, for it is better to suffer for doing good than for evil. This letter, written to early Christians facing persecution, reminds us that our actions and attitudes should reflect our faith in Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the promise of the Holy Spirit, who will abide with them forever. He connects obedience to His commandments with the expression of love for Him. Jesus assures them of His continued presence through the Spirit and promises that those who love Him will be loved by the Father. This passage from John’s farewell discourse underscores the unity between Jesus, the Father, and believers, sustained by the Holy Spirit.
These readings are interconnected through the theme of the Holy Spirit and the call to live out our faith authentically. In Acts, the Spirit is the gift that completes the initiation of the Samaritan believers. In 1 Peter, the Spirit empowers believers to endure suffering with integrity. In John’s Gospel, the Spirit is the ongoing presence of Jesus in the lives of His disciples. Together, they remind us that the Holy Spirit is both a gift and a guide, enabling us to live as witnesses to Christ’s love.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us remember that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Strength. Like Philip, we are called to share the Good News with others, trusting in the Spirit’s power to transform hearts. Like the early Christians, we are to live with integrity, ready to give an account of our hope in Christ. And like Jesus’ disciples, we are to keep His commandments, knowing that love and obedience are intertwined.
May we embrace the moral lesson of these readings: that our faith is not just a set of beliefs, but a way of life. May we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, to give us courage in the face of challenges, and to empower us to love as Christ has loved us. Let us strive to live in such a way that our actions and attitudes reflect the presence of Christ within us, and may we always remember that we are never alone, for the Spirit of Truth abides with us.