Liturgical Readings for : Tuesday, 9th April, 2024
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Jesus is the perfect revelation of God especially in his death and resurrection.
FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 4:32-37
United, heart and soul.
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.
None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 91
Response The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
Or Alleluia!
1. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power. Response
2. The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are. Response
3. Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time. Response
Gospel Acclamation Apoc 1: 5
Alleluia, Alleluia!
You, O Christ, are the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead;
you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood.
Alleluia!
or Jn 3: 15
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 3:7-15 Glory to you, O Lord
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’
‘How can that be possible?‘ asked Nicodemus.
‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.
‘I tell you most solemnly, we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet you people reject our evidence. If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world, how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes
may have eternal life in him.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Tuesday Second Week of Easter John 3:7-15
The first reading gives us an insight into how the members of the early church looked out for one another. If a member of the community had more that was needed, it was presented to the Apostles who distributed it to those who were in greater need. As a result, none of the members of the community were ever in want. This tradition of sharing from our surplus to give to those in greater need has been an essential feature of the life of the church since its earliest beginnings. One expression of it today is the work of the Vincent de Paul Society. The monthly collection that is taken up outside the church allows them to help people who find themselves in a once-off need or perhaps in a situation that requires a more sustained response. This is one manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church, what Saint Paul calls a fruit of the Spirit.
In the gospel reading, Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind. Just as we cannot see the wind as such but can experience its impact on ourselves, on others, on nature, so we cannot see the Holy Spirit directly, but we can see the impact of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the lives of others. Just as the wind blows wherever it pleases, so the Spirit works where it pleases. We will often see the impact of the Spirit in people and in places where we didn’t expect to find it. We can delight in wherever we happen to find the fruit of the Spirit. As people born of the Spirit through baptism, we have a special calling to allow the Spirit to blow through us and to shape what we say and do.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
