Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II)
Readings at Mass
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First reading
Acts 13:44-52
Since you have rejected the word of God, we must turn to the pagans
The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:
I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’
It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.
But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium, but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
After such a promising start in Antioch, things took a turn for the worse. The entire city showed up, and even the non-Jewish listeners were interested, but the Jews became envious. This is the first of three significant rejections of the message by the Jews, as documented in Acts. These rejections were strategically placed and orchestrated, emphasizing the author's point. First in Antioch, then in Corinth (18.5-6), and finally in Rome (28.25-29). Each time, Paul made a point of proclaiming salvation to the Jews, only to be rejected. The author highlights the boldness of their proclamation, speaking fearlessly with the apostolic zeal inspired by the Spirit. Paul symbolically marked each rejection, shaking the dust off his feet twice and concluding with a quote from Isaiah 6.9, which predicts this very rejection. The author's intention is to demonstrate to the non-Jewish Church that Paul made every effort with the Jews, but they ultimately pushed him to turn to the Gentiles.
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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97(98):1-4
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
or
Alleluia!
Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
or
Alleluia!
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
Rm 6:9
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again.
Death has no power over him anymore.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn 8:31-32
Alleluia, alleluia!
If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
and you will learn the truth, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
John 14:7-14
To have seen me is to have seen the father
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you know me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know him and have seen him.’
Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’
‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him, ‘and you still do not know me?
‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father,
so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:
it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever believes in me
will perform the same works as I do myself,
he will perform even greater works,
because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask for anything in my name,
I will do it.’
Commentary
Jesus is now clarifying how he serves as the pathway to the Father. The explanation is rooted in the Hebrew idea of the shaliah, or envoy. This concept is built upon the action of sending, as the shaliah is a representative who possesses the authority to make agreements and produce results on behalf of the Sender. Therefore, the shaliah is deserving of the same respect and reverence as the Sender, as they stand in the Sender's place. Just as the shaliah is sent by the principal, they also report back to the principal. This concept is exemplified in the narrative of the shaliahim dispatched by King David to King Hanun of Amman, where disrespect towards the shaliahim was perceived as an affront to the Sender. This analogy is akin to how the presence of a judge-in-session is honored by the royal flag, symbolizing respect for the justice administered rather than the individual.
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Life messages: 1) We believe that God dwells within our souls in the form of His Holy Spirit, making us the temple of God, for we have the indwelling presence of the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, living within us.
2) Hence, it is our duty to live always aware of the real presence of God within us and to adjust our life, accordingly, doing good to others and avoiding evil.
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