Fifth Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 54
24 APRIL 2016 A.D.


(St. Paul and St. Barnabas at Lystra, Willem de Poorter, 1636)

First Reading ACTS 14:21-27

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news
to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.


Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.


Let them make known your might to the children of Adam,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.




Second Reading REV 21:1-5A

Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed away.”

The One who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”

Alleluia JN 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


(Judas Leaves Jesus, Nikolai Ge, 1863)

Gospel JN 13:31-33A, 34-35

When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”


(Jesus, stained glass Trinity Lutheran Church, Faribault, MN)

Bible Study--5th Sunday of Easter--Cycle C
(courtesy Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics)

"Love is sufficient by itself, it pleases by itself, and for its own sake. Love seeks neither cause nor fruit beyond itself. It’s fruit is it’s use. I love because I love; I love that I may love." -St Bernard of Clairvaux

BNA many many thanks. And the art by Ge and Poorter are wonderful. It must have been a sad day for our Savior to know of us upcoming betrayal by Judas. I wonder if it is the beginning of the saying "Love Hurts"?

Thanks Brother artman54!

Great insight.

In Jesus we see what unconditional love looks like. I can't imagine what the divine heart felt through all of it. But consistently we see His mercy.


The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles was a scandalous break away for the Jews who refuses to intermingle with gentiles.


Thanks always for these posts.



ETA Our deacon reminded us that The last Supper was the first Mass and the establishment  of the Eucharist. He pointed out that Judas then would have been the first person to ever leave mass early...




 

Ha ! That's great. Thanks for sharing and I think I'll mention that at Mass next time.

angelfire, you're always on-the-mark!

thanks for the chuckle about Iscariot leaving Mass early (in our mega-parish, you'll get trampled in the aisles by those fleeing after Communion! )

what did our Blessed Lord say in the Garden of Gethsemane, to St. Peter?

"So, you men couldn't stay awake with me for one hour, could you?