Saint Pius V, Pope
Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).
Readings at Mass
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First reading
Acts 14:19-28
They gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to the pagans
Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh hearts into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’ In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga, they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Commentary
Paul's ability to simply stand up and walk away may seem effortless, but it masks the reality of the physical abuse he endured. In his letters, such as 2 Corinthians 11.23-27, Paul recounts the mistreatment and violence he experienced. Paul likely returned to Antioch in Syria, where his missionary journey began, battered and bruised. It is important to note that there were multiple cities named Antioch, each claiming the name of powerful rulers and patrons like King Antiochus.
During his return journey, Paul established the standard organization of Jewish communities in the new Christian communities he encountered. This included the appointment of a body of elders, as they had now had some time to settle down. Notably, there is no mention of priests in the New Testament, as Christ himself is considered the only priest. Bishops, although not explicitly mentioned, would later emerge in places like Philippi (Philippians 1.1), serving as overseers rather than what we now understand as bishops. It is worth mentioning that the structure of a body of elders may not have been universally adopted in the early Pauline communities. In 1 Corinthians 6.5, there is no indication of a formal mechanism for making judgments, suggesting that they relied solely on governance by the Spirit, which presented its own challenges.
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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):10-13a,21
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendor of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendor of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendor of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all mankind bless his holy name
forever, for ages unending.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendor of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk24:46,26
Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
John 14:27-31
A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.
I shall not talk with you any longer,
because the prince of this world is on his way.
He has no power over me,
but the world must be brought to know
that I love the Father
and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.’
Commentary
The reading begins with Jesus greeting his disciples with the word 'Peace'. In Judaism, this greeting, 'Shalom!', was commonly used and is still widely used today. However, Jesus specifies it as 'my peace'. This gives the common greeting a special meaning in Christianity, as it is used by the Risen Christ when he appears to his disciples in the upper room, by Paul at the beginning of his letters, and even by the angels at the Nativity. This peace that Jesus speaks of goes beyond just the absence of war. It is a peace that encompasses generosity and justice, allowing individuals to be at peace within themselves, with a clear conscience, and in friendship with others, with hearts that are untroubled and unafraid.
The significance of this blessing of peace is even greater if we consider that this section may have once been the conclusion of Jesus' discourse. Jesus says, 'I have no more to say to you' (verse 29), and immediately after the reading, he says, 'Get up now, let us go' (verse 31b). This has suggested that this section was indeed the original ending, and that the rest of the discourse in chapters 15-17 is another edition of the same discourse. Alternatively, if chapter 17 is seen as standing alone, then there may be two additional editions of the discourse. This suggestion is supported by some repetition found in the text.
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