Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 12, 2020
First Reading: Acts 10.34a, 37-43
34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Psalm 118
1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.2Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."3Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever."4Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever."5In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.6The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?7The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.8It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.9It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.10All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.11They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.12They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.13I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.14The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.15Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!16The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"17I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.18The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.19Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.20This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.21I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.22The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;23the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.24This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.25O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.27The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.28You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.29Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Second Reading: Colossians 3.1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
Gospel: John 20.1-9
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter the profound truth of the resurrection and its transformative power in our lives. The first reading from Acts presents Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection, emphasizing that Jesus is the judge of all humanity. This passage underscores the universal call to believe in Christ, as Peter shares the Gospel with Cornelius, a Gentile, illustrating that salvation is for all people. The second reading from Colossians invites us to focus on heavenly things, reminding us that our true life is hidden with Christ and will be revealed when He appears in glory. This theological reflection encourages us to live in a way that reflects our union with the risen Lord. The Gospel from John vividly describes the discovery of the empty tomb, highlighting the disciples’ growing faith as they encounter the signs of Jesus’ resurrection.
These readings are deeply interconnected, as they all point to the central truth of the resurrection. In Acts, Peter proclaims the resurrection as the foundation of faith, while in Colossians, the resurrection is the source of our hope and new life. John’s account of the empty tomb invites us to behold the tangible signs of Jesus’ victory over death. Together, these readings remind us that the resurrection is not merely a historical event but a living reality that shapes our understanding of God’s plan and our place in it.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How does the resurrection shape our daily lives? Just as Peter and the disciples were transformed by their encounter with the risen Lord, we too are called to live as people who have been raised with Christ. This means seeking the things that are above, as Colossians encourages, and living with hope and purpose, knowing that our true life is hidden with Christ. May we, like the disciples, come to believe more deeply in the power of the resurrection and allow it to transform our hearts and actions. In a world often filled with darkness and uncertainty, may we radiate the light and joy of the risen Christ, trusting in His promise to bring all things to glory.