Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 2nd May, 2024
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Memorial of St Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the church
Jesus loves the disciples with the same love as the Father does.
FIRST READING Acts of the Apostles 15:7-21
I rule that we do not make it more difficult for pagans who turn to God.
After the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed them.
‘My brothers,’ he said ‘you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers. In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God’s anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.’
This silenced the entire assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and
wonders God had worked through them among the pagans. When they had finished it was James who spoke.
‘My brothers,’ he said ‘listen to me. Simeon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say:
After that I shall return and rebuild the fallen House of David; I shall rebuild it from its ruins and restore it. Then the rest of mankind, all the pagans who are consecrated to my name, will look for the Lord, says the Lord who made this known so long ago.
‘I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath.’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 95
Response Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
Or Alleluia!
1. O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Response
2. Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples. Response
3. Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness. Response
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Christ has risen: he who created all things, and has granted his mercy to men.
Alleluia!
or Jn 10:27
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord; I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew John 15:9-11 Glory to you, O Lord
Remain in my love and let your joy be complete.
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.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reflection Thursday, Fifth Week of Easter John 15:9-11
In today’s first reading Peter argues that the church, which was composed of Jews almost exclusively, should not make things more difficult for pagans who want to join the church than is necessary, by insisting they submit to the Jewish practice of circumcision. Peter seems to be touching on a good pastoral principal, namely, not to make it more difficult for people to come to the Lord than is necessary. The Lord is always drawing people to himself, sometimes in ways that may surprise us. Peter suggests that we must be careful not to get in the way of the Lord’s work of drawing people to himself by imposing conditions that the Lord himself would not impose. Very often, the best thing we can do is to get out of the Lord’s way and let the Lord work. People’s journey to faith is ultimately the Lord’s work. The Lord is always engaged in his work of drawing people to himself.
He wants to work through us but we have to be careful that we don’t become a hindrance to him rather than a help by complicating the Lord’s work. In the gospel reading, Jesus suggests that we serve his work best by remaining in his love, opening ourselves to the gift of his love, ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you’. If we open ourselves to the Lord’s love we will begin to experience the Lord’s own joy, ‘I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete’. When we open ourselves to the Lord’s love and his joy fills our lives, then the Lord will be able to work through us more freely so as to draw others to himself.
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