Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 19, 2020
First Reading: Acts 2.42-47
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.44All the believers were together and had everything in common.45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
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: 1 Peter 1.3-9
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.7These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel: John 20.19-31
19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the life of faith, hope, and community that define us as followers of Christ. In the first reading from Acts, we see the early Christian community living in profound unity, sharing resources, and gathering regularly for prayer and the breaking of bread. This was not just a social arrangement but a spiritual way of life rooted in their shared faith in the risen Lord. Their perseverance in the face of challenges and their joy in simplicity of heart remind us that the Christian life is meant to be lived with radical generosity and love.
The second reading from 1 Peter deepens this theme by focusing on the hope that comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter reminds us that our inheritance is incorruptible and reserved for us in heaven, but this hope is not without its trials. Just as gold is tested by fire, our faith is purified through suffering. This does not mean we should seek suffering, but rather that we should trust in God’s plan and find joy in the midst of it, knowing that our ultimate salvation is secure.
In the Gospel, John 20, we encounter the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples and breathing the Holy Spirit upon them. This moment is the foundation of our faith and mission as Christians. The story of Thomas, often misunderstood as a skeptic, actually reveals the depth of faith. Thomas’s demand to see and touch the wounds of Christ is not a sign of doubt but a desire to fully embrace the truth. Jesus’ response, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” speaks directly to us today. We are called to live by faith, trusting in God’s presence even when we cannot see him.
These readings together remind us that the Christian life is one of community, hope, and faith. Like the early Church, we are called to live with generosity, unity, and perseverance. Like Thomas, we are invited to move beyond doubt to a deeper trust in God’s plan. And like the disciples, we are sent forth with the Holy Spirit to share the Good News with the world. Let us ask ourselves: How am I living out my faith in my daily life? Am I trusting in God’s plan even when the road is uncertain? May we, like the early Christians, find joy in simplicity, hope in trials, and faith in the unseen, knowing that the risen Christ is always with us.