Mass Readings For April 30, 2020 – Thursday, Third Week of Easter

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

What will happen to the bodies of the living and the dead after the Second Coming of Christ? What does it mean to have ‘glorified bodies’ in Heaven?
Read and find out in our Latest Blog Post: The Resurrection of the Body

First Reading – Acts 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the Scripture passage he was reading:Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing.
Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia – John 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven,
says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – John 6:44-51

Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:They shall all be taught by God.Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

 

Related Post:
The Divine Mercy of Jesus: Messages and Life Lessons
The 3 O’clock Prayer, sometimes referred to as the 3 O’clock Habit, is a popular devotion, just as the image of the Divine Mercy of Jesus is widely known to people. My Reflection elaborates about the Divine Mercy with an outline of four Key Messages. By knowing what the Divine Mercy offers to faithful and humble souls, its Message turn into lessons that are truly needed in our lives.

 

My Latest Blog:
What seems like a coincidence—the spread of the coronavirus has become a pandemic exactly two weeks into the Season of Lent—is actually not mere chance; for Catholics do not believe in mere coincidences. With everything that’s happening, God must have a message. But what is God saying? In this Post, I offer a detailed analysis of the things that God could be telling you and me and the world with this COVID-19 crisis. As the Church celebrates a glorious Easter, take some time to read and think about which ones in the article mean something in your life. I assure you that My Reflection will help in your spiritual understanding of this tumultuous time.

 

Feature Post:
Act of Spiritual Communion
If you are unable to physically receive Holy Communion, especially if you are under lockdown or in isolation in the midst of this pandemic, make a solemn recitation of this Prayer for Spiritual Communion by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori.

 

Related Post:
The Resurrection of the Body
Saint Paul the Apostle said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” The Resurrection of Our Lord from the dead is the ultimate foundation of the Catholic Faith, “the resurrection of the body,” and “life everlasting” as in our Credo. But what will happen to the bodies of the living and the dead after the Second Coming of Christ? Read this Post to find out what it means to have “glorified bodies” in Heaven.
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