Liturgical Readings for : Tuesday, 14th May, 2024
FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17, 20-26
The lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers -there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation:
‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:
‘Let his camp be reduced to ruin, Let there be no one to live in it.‘
And again: ‘Let someone else take his office.‘
‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed,
‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’
They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 112
Response The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or Alleluia!
1. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and for evermore! Response
2. From the rising of the sun to its setting praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Response
3. Who is like the Lord, our God, who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down, to look down upon heaven and earth? Response
4. From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the dung heap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes, yes, with the princes of his people. Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 15: 16
Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last says the Lord.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 15:9-17 Glory to you, O Lord
You did not choose me, no, I chose you.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out
and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you is to love one another.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Feast of Saint Matthias John 15:9-17
It is likely that Matthias never expected to find himself as a member of the group of twelve that Jesus had formed around himself. The betrayal of Judas and his resulting death created an opening which needed to be filled. Jesus had chosen the twelve personally. How was a replacement for Judas going to be chosen, now that Jesus was no longer present in bodily form? It is clear from the first reading that the members of the early church believed that Jesus was indeed present, as risen Lord. That is why they turned in prayer to the Lord and asked him to show them which of two possible candidates, Matthias or Barsabbas, he wanted to replace Judas. The disciples understood that Judas’ replacement had to be the Lord’s choice.
Just as he had chosen the original twelve, he would have to choose Judas’ replacement. At the same time, the disciples recognized that they had a role to play also. They narrowed the possible candidates down to two, and then they asked the Lord to show which of the two he had chosen. They used their own judgement, while recognizing that the final choice was the Lord’s. The disciples’ prayer, ‘Lord, show us which of these you have chosen’ is a prayer we all need to make in some shape or form.
We always need to seek what the Lord wants, and not just what we want. We have to draw upon our own human resources in order to make a good decision, like the disciples who narrowed the field down to two candidates. Yet, we recognize that any good decision has to be the Lord’s decision. His choice has to prevail and only if our choice corresponds to his choice will it be of any value. The Lord’s choice is primary. As Jesus says in the gospel reading, ‘You did not choose me, no, I chose you’. Every day we seek to live in accordance with the Lord’s choice, the Lord’s will for our lives. In that gospel reading, Jesus sums up his choice for us, his will for our lives, very simply, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
