First Reading – Acts 5:27-33
When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia – John 20:29
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – John 3:31-36
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
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.
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.
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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