Daily Catholic Mass Readings for April 30, 2021
First Reading: Acts 13.26-33
26"Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.29When they had carried out all that was written about 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 was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.32"We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. '
Psalm 2
1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?2The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.3"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.5Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,6"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill."7I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.9You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."10Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.11Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Gospel: John 14.1-6
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.4You know the way to the place where I am going."5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"6Jesus answered, "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 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.