Monday, April 30, 2012
Easter Weekday
FIRST READING
Acts 11: 1 – 18
1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard
that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.2 So when Peter went up to
Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,3 saying, "Why did you go
to uncircumcised men and eat with them?"4 But Peter began and explained to
them in order:5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw
a vision, something descending, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by
four corners; and it came down to me.6 Looking at it closely I observed animals
and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.7 And I heard a voice
saying to me, `Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'8 But I said, `No, Lord; for nothing
common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'9 But the voice answered a second
time from heaven, `What God has cleansed you must not call common.'10 This
happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.11 At that very
moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from
Caesare'a.12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction.
These six brethren also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.13 And
he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to
Joppa and bring Simon called Peter;14 he will declare to you a message by which
you will be saved, you and all your household.'15 As I began to speak, the Holy
Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.16 And I remembered the word
of the Lord, how he said, `John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit.'17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us
when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand
God?"18 When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God,
saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto
life."
PSALM RESPONSES
Psalms 42: 2 – 3, 43: 3 - 4
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I
come and behold the face of God?3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let
them bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling!4 Then I will go to the
altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O
God, my God.
GOSPEL
John 10: 1 – 10
1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter
the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and
a robber;2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3 To him
the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out.4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before
them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.5 A stranger they will
not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of
strangers."6 This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand
what he was saying to them.7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I
say to you, I am the door of the sheep.8 All who came before me are thieves and
robbers; but the sheep did not heed them.9 I am the door; if any one enters by
me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.10 The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and
have it abundantly.
What Revelation makes known to us is confirmed by our own
experience. For when man looks into his own heart he finds that he is drawn towards
what is wrong and sunk in many evils which cannot come from his good Creator.
Often refusing to acknowledge God as his source, man has also upset the
relationship which should link him to his last end, and at the same time he has
broken the right order that should reign within himself as well as between
himself and other men and all creatures.-- Gaudium et spes
The Holy Bible
The Holy Eucharist
Mother Mary
