Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 30, 2021
First Reading: Acts 13.26-33
26Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.27For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.28And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.29And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.30But God raised him from the dead:31And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.32And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Psalm 2
1Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.5Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Gospel: John 14.1-6
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by 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 of Antioch, explaining how the death and resurrection of Jesus fulfill the promises of the Old Testament. He emphasizes that the message of salvation is not just for the Jewish people but for all who seek God. This reading reminds us that the story of Jesus is rooted in history and prophecy, and it is through him that God’s plan for humanity is revealed.
The Gospel from John takes us into the intimate conversation Jesus shares with his disciples before his Passion. Jesus comforts them by saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled,” and he assures them that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. When Thomas expresses confusion about the way to follow Jesus, 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.” This passage is a beautiful reminder that Jesus is our ultimate guide, and his love and truth are the foundation of our hope.
These readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to place our faith in Jesus, who is the fulfillment of all promises. In our daily lives, we often face uncertainty and doubt, just like Thomas. But Jesus’s words encourage us to remain steadfast in our belief and to seek him as our way, truth, and life. Let us remember that no matter the challenges we face, God’s love and mercy are always at work, preparing a place for us in his eternal kingdom. May we live each day with the hope and assurance that Jesus is our path to the Father, and may we share this good news with others, just as Paul did in Antioch.