A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Chapter 14:21-27)
One word that might come to mind while one reads this passage is “frenetic.” Paul and Barnabas seem to be constantly on the move, going from town to town to spread the good news of the risen Jesus Christ, establish a community of believers, and move on to the next stop. Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia, Antioch—quite an itinerary in those days before motorized transportation, or any transportation at all except two feet and an occasional ship. While we might admire Paul and Barnabas for their energy, that probably wasn’t the author’s goal in telling us about it. Rather, he might have intended to remind us that, at our baptism, we inherited from Paul and Barnabas and the other early disciples the role of evangelist. In this season of rejoicing that Christ has risen from the dead and redeemed us, let us pray for at least some of the gratitude and spirit that inspired those early Christians, and let us carry on their work with at least some of their persistence.
Responsorial Psalm
(Psalm 145)
“Let your faithful ones bless you,” the psalmist prays. “Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might.” If we believe what we say we believe about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, we will be eager to fulfill the psalmist’s prayer and praise God wherever and whenever we can.
A reading from the book of Revelation
(Chapter 21:1-5a)
You might have noticed that the word “new” appears four times in these few verses. That’s not surprising, because God is all about “new.” Nowhere is that more evident that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During his ministry, he gave new life to many who were blind, disabled, or chronically ill—even to some who were dead. In his resurrection, he gave new life to all of us, winning for us the possibility of life forever in the presence of God. He left us the sacrament of reconciliation in which we can renew our relationship with God no matter how many times we might forsake it. He left us the Eucharist—something new, indeed—in which we can be united with him and each other in unprecedented intimacy. And, for the first time in human history, he presented God as the Father, not just of one nation or tribe, but of all people without distinction. “Behold, I am doing something new!”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
(Chapter 13:31-33a, 34-35)
“As I have loved you,” Jesus told his apostles, and us, “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.” He was about to die for them, and for us. That’s included in “as I have loved you.” Jesus wasn’t talking about sentiment or romance. He was talking about love in which one makes the wellbeing of someone else more important than his or her own. He was talking about love that means dying, in the sense of giving away a part of ourselves, so that others may have fuller, safer, healthier, more peaceful lives. It means letting that other driver merge in front of you, even though you won’t be “first.” And it means giving of our time or attention or material resources—even until it hurts—if that’s what it takes to help someone who otherwise would be without help. “Love one another.” It means dying, a little or a lot, so that someone else might live.
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Painting: The Conversion of St. Paul, Michelangelo Merisi (Caravaggio), 1571-1610. Public Domain.
Excerpts from the English translation of the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved.
Charles Paolino is managing editor at RENEW International. He is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Metuchen.
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