Mass Readings for : Sunday, 28th April, 2024

Catholic Ireland

Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 28th April, 2024

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
The Church grows in the fear of the Lord, filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
The Father watches over the growth of the vine that it may bear more fruit.
Faith, love and obedience to the commandments give life.

FIRST READING

A reading from the Book Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31
Barnabas explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey.

When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm Ps 21
Response You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.
Or Alleluia!

1. My vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him. May their hearts live for ever and ever! Response

2. All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, all families of the nations worship before him.
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust. Response

3. And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him. They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,
declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn: ‘These things the Lord has done.’ Response

SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St John 3:18-24
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another.

My children,
our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active;
only by this can we be certain that we are the children of the truth
and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,
whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.

My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God’s presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.

The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation Jn 14: 10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. Whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 15:10 Glory to you, O Lord
Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away,
and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.’