DAILY MASS REFLECTIONS FRIDAY FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

This is the Catholic Daily Mass Readings and Reflections for Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Season. Today’s first reading is from Acts of the Apostles 13:26-33 and Gospel Reading is from John 14:1-6.

 First Reading.

Acts of the Apostles 13:26-33.

When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: “Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. Though they could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’

Responsorial Psalm.

R.    You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

 “I myself have set up my king

    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:

    The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;

    this day I have begotten you.”

R.    You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

 “Ask of me and I will give you

    the nations for an inheritance

    and the ends of the earth for your possession.

You shall rule them with an iron rod;

    you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”

R.    You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

And now, O kings, give heed;

    take warning, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;

    with trembling rejoice.

R.    You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

Gospel Acclamation.

Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father except through me.

Alleluia, alleluia.

John 14:1-6.

“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

Gospel Reflect

The Church has selected this Gospel text as one to be read at liturgies for the dead. We are invited to hear Jesus speaking to us personally, “I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be” (14:3). Jesus has gone to the Father’s house and entered into heavenly glory. He promises to come back at the hour of our death and take us to be with him and the Father forever (12:26). Hence, St. Thomas Aquinas comments on John 14:3, “The statement ‘I will come again and take you to myself,’ can be understood as that spiritual coming with which Christ always visits the Church of the faithful and vivifies each of the faithful at death.... He will strengthen you in faith and love for [him].” 

This is the good news of our salvation: through his death and resurrection, Jesus promises to take us to be with the Father in heavenly glory. Consequently, as St. Paul writes, do “not grieve like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13), but rather “have faith in God” and in what Jesus promises (John 14:1). The promises of the Lord are rock-solid because God is faithful: “I have spoken; I will do it” (Ezek 37:14).