Wednesday 15 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 

Wednesday of the 2nd week of Eastertide

First Reading — Acts 5:17–26
The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.
But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.
When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.’ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said, ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 33(34):2–9
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.

Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

Gospel — John 3:16–21
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer darkness to the light
because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light,

so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’

---

Reflection (First + Gospel)

The apostles are imprisoned out of jealousy, not justice. Yet even in confinement, God is not constrained. The angel does not simply free them — he gives direction: return, stand, and proclaim. This reflects a core apostolic pattern: divine intervention always restores mission, not comfort (CCC 849–851).

Their immediate obedience is critical. They do not pause to assess risk or negotiate terms. They go back to the Temple at dawn — the place of visibility and confrontation. This demonstrates that resurrection faith produces clarity of action. The “new Life” they proclaim is not an idea; it is participation in the risen Christ (CCC 654).

In the Gospel, the theological centre is explicit: God’s love is the origin of salvation. “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son.” This giving is both Incarnation and Cross (CCC 458, 616). Salvation is offered universally, but it is not imposed — belief is required, and belief entails response.

The distinction between light and darkness is moral and existential. Darkness represents refusal — a resistance to truth because it exposes sin (CCC 678). Light represents alignment with God’s action. To “come into the light” is to live transparently before God, allowing one’s life to be shaped and judged by truth.

The apostles embody this movement. They stand publicly because they no longer belong to darkness. Their actions are already “done in God.” This is the same trajectory for every disciple — from concealment to clarity, from fear to witness, from self-preservation to mission.

---

One line to carry today:
Choose the light and act on it without hesitation.

Tuesday 14 April 2026 Tuesday of the 2nd week of Eastertide Mass Readings

 

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

---

First reading — Acts 4:32-37

The whole group of believers was 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.

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 92(93):1-2,5

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time.

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

---

Gospel — John 3:7-15

The Son of Man must be lifted up

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.’

---

Reflection

The unity described in Acts is not achieved — it is received.

The believers are one heart and one soul. This is not human agreement or strategy; it is the visible effect of the Holy Spirit at work within them. Their unity expresses itself concretely — in generosity, in shared life, in care for one another.

No one is in need because no one is living for themselves.

This is what resurrection life looks like when it takes hold of a community.

In the Gospel, Jesus continues to lead Nicodemus beyond surface understanding. The language shifts from new birth to something even more revealing: the Son of Man must be lifted up.

This is a direct reference to the Cross.

What appears as suffering becomes the very means of life. Just as the bronze serpent lifted in the desert brought healing (Numbers 21), so Christ lifted on the Cross becomes the source of eternal life.

The Catechism deepens this reality:

• Christ’s lifting up on the Cross is the source of salvation for all (CCC 440, 617)
• Eternal life is given through faith in the Son (CCC 161, 2616)
• The Holy Spirit brings about new birth and transforms believers into communion (CCC 683, 1265)

The connection is clear:

The Cross gives life.
The Spirit transforms that life within us.
And the result is a people who live no longer divided, but united.

Faith is not only belief — it is participation in this new life.

---

One line to carry today:

True life flows from the One lifted up on the Cross.

Monday 13 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 

Monday of the 2nd Week of Easter

---

First reading — Acts 4:23-31

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly

As soon as Peter and John were released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard it they lifted up their voice to God all together.

‘Master,’ they prayed ‘it is you who made heaven and earth and sea, and everything in them; you it is who said through the Holy Spirit and speaking through our ancestor David, your servant:

Why this arrogance among the nations,
these futile plots among the peoples?
Kings on earth setting out to war,
princes making an alliance,
against the Lord and against his Anointed.

‘This is what has come true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate made an alliance with the pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, but only to bring about the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined should happen.

And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’

As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly.

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 2:1-9

Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.

Why this tumult among nations,
among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth,
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
‘Come, let us break their fetters,
come, let us cast off their yoke.’

Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger,
his rage will strike them with terror.
‘It is I who have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.’

Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.

I will announce the decree of the Lord:
The Lord said to me: ‘You are my Son.
It is I who have begotten you this day.
Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations,
put the ends of the earth in your possession.
With a rod of iron you will break them,
shatter them like a potter’s jar.’

Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.

---

Gospel — John 3:1-8

Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God

There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.’

Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born from above,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

Nicodemus said, ‘How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’

Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God:
what is born of the flesh is flesh;
what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

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.’

---

Reflection

The prayer of the early Church reveals something essential: they do not ask for the situation to change — they ask to be strengthened within it.

Threats remain, opposition remains, but they seek boldness.

And God answers not by removing pressure, but by filling them with the Holy Spirit.

This is the pattern of the Christian life: not escape, but empowerment.

In the Gospel, Nicodemus represents a sincere but incomplete understanding. He recognises God at work, yet he is still thinking within natural limits. Jesus draws him beyond this: you must be born from above.

This is the language of Baptism and the life of the Spirit.

The Catechism makes this explicit:

• Baptism is the new birth through water and the Spirit (CCC 1215)
• It is the beginning of supernatural life (CCC 1265)
• The Holy Spirit transforms us interiorly, not just externally (CCC 683–686)

To be “born from above” is to receive a life we cannot generate ourselves.

And this life has consequences.

It produces boldness.
It produces witness.
It produces a life no longer driven by fear.

The same Spirit who filled the early Church is given to us.

The question is not whether the Spirit is available —
but whether we are willing to live from that new birth.

---

One line to carry today:

Be born of the Spirit, and speak with boldness.

Sunday 12 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 

Divine Mercy Sunday (2nd Sunday of Easter)

---

First reading — Acts 2:42-47

The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common

The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.
The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.
They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love is everlasting.

Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
‘His love has no end.’

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love is everlasting.

I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,
but the Lord was my helper.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love is everlasting.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love is everlasting.

---

Second reading — 1 Peter 1:3-9

You did not see Christ, yet you love him

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

---

Gospel — John 20:19-31

Eight days later, Jesus came again and stood among them

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

---

Reflection

The early Church in Acts is not simply organised — it is transformed.

They remain faithful to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. They hold everything in common. This is not idealism; it is the fruit of the Resurrection. When Christ is truly encountered, life is reordered. Possessions, priorities, and relationships are no longer centred on self, but on communion.

This is what the Church looks like when it lives from Easter.

In the Gospel, however, we begin in a very different place — fear.

The doors are closed. The disciples are hiding. The Resurrection has happened, but it has not yet been fully received.

And then Christ enters.

No barrier stops him. No locked door, no fear, no failure. His first words are not correction, but peace: “Peace be with you.”

This is Divine Mercy in action.

He shows his wounds — not erased, but glorified. The marks of suffering remain, but they are now signs of victory. Then he breathes the Holy Spirit and gives authority to forgive sins. Mercy is not abstract — it is entrusted to the Church.

Then comes Thomas.

His doubt is honest. He refuses second-hand faith. Yet Christ does not reject him. He meets him. He invites him. And Thomas moves from doubt to the highest confession: “My Lord and my God.”

The Catechism reveals the depth of this moment:

• The Resurrection is a real event that transforms history and faith (CCC 639–644)
• Christ’s risen body is the same, yet glorified beyond ordinary limits (CCC 645–646)
• Faith is often born through encounter, even after doubt (CCC 644)
• The forgiveness of sins is a central gift of the Resurrection (CCC 976–977)

Divine Mercy Sunday brings it together.

Christ does not wait for perfect faith.
He enters fear.
He meets doubt.
He offers peace.
He gives mercy.

And then he calls us to believe — not because we have seen, but because he has revealed.

---

One line to carry today:

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Saturday 11 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 

Easter Saturday

---

First reading — Acts 4:13-21

We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard

The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.’

So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, ‘You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.’ The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 117(118):1,14-21

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.

The Lord is my strength and my song;
he was my saviour.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

‘The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.’

I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.

Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.

I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.

---

Gospel — Mark 16:9-15

Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News

Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him.

After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.

Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’

---

Reflection

The authorities attempt control — silence the message, contain the spread, limit the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answer with clarity: we cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.

This is not defiance for its own sake. It is conviction born from encounter. Once Christ is truly seen, silence is no longer an option.

In the Gospel, we see the struggle of belief from another angle. The first witnesses are not immediately believed. Even those closest to Jesus hesitate. Doubt lingers, even after the Resurrection.

Yet Christ persists.

He appears again. He confronts their unbelief. And then he sends them.

Mission does not wait for perfect faith. It flows from real encounter, even when understanding is still growing.

The Catechism clarifies this movement:

• The Resurrection calls for witness, not silence (CCC 641–642)
• Faith often unfolds gradually, even among the apostles (CCC 644)
• The Church is missionary by nature, sent to proclaim Christ to all (CCC 849–850)

The command is direct: go out to the whole world.

Easter does not end at the empty tomb.
It moves outward — through voices, through lives, through witness.

---

One line to carry today:

What we have seen and heard in Christ cannot remain unspoken.

Friday 10 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 

Easter Friday

---

First reading — Acts 4:1-12

The name of Jesus Christ is the only one by which we can be saved

While Peter and John were talking to the people the priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. They were extremely annoyed at their teaching the people the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. They arrested them, but as it was already late, they held them till the next day. But many of those who had listened to their message became believers, the total number of whom had now risen to something like five thousand.
The next day the rulers, elders and scribes had a meeting in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly families. They made the prisoners stand in the middle and began to interrogate them, ‘By what power, and by whose name have you men done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 117(118):1-2,4,22-27

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say:
‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
‘His love has no end.’

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

---

Gospel — John 21:1-14

Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

---

Reflection

Peter’s declaration is absolute: there is no other name by which we can be saved.

This is not symbolic language. It is a definitive claim. Salvation is not found in systems, effort, or alternative paths — it is found in a person: Jesus Christ.

This conviction is what fuels the apostles. Despite opposition, arrest, and pressure, they do not dilute the message. The Resurrection has transformed fear into clarity.

In the Gospel, we see a quieter but equally powerful truth.

The disciples return to fishing — something familiar, something safe. Yet without Christ, their efforts produce nothing. Their labour is real, but it is empty.

Then comes a simple instruction: throw the net out.

Obedience precedes abundance.

They do not recognise Jesus at first. Recognition comes through action — through listening and responding. Then everything changes.

This is the rhythm of faith.

The Catechism reinforces this reality:

• Salvation is found uniquely in Christ (CCC 432, 846)
• The Resurrection confirms Jesus’ divine authority and mission (CCC 651)
• Christ continues to reveal himself, often gradually, drawing us into faith (CCC 645)
• Life apart from him ultimately lacks fullness (CCC 1691)

The moment of recognition — “It is the Lord” — changes everything.

And what does Jesus do next?

He feeds them.

This is not incidental. It echoes the Eucharist — Christ giving himself as nourishment. The risen Lord does not just prove he is alive; he sustains.

Easter is not only about believing Christ has risen.
It is about recognising him, listening to him, and allowing him to transform ordinary life into something abundant.

---

One line to carry today:

Without Christ, we labour; with him, everything changes.

Thursday 9 April 2026 — Daily Mass Readings

 Easter Thursday

---

First reading — Acts 3:11-26

You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the dead

Everyone came running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John. When Peter saw the people he addressed them, ‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.

‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets. Moses, for example, said: The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you. The man who does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people. In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.

‘You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’

---

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 8:2, 5-9

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

What is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.

All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

---

Gospel — Luke 24:35-48

It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.

They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’

---

Reflection

Peter’s words confront and invite at the same time.

“You killed the prince of life.”
This is truth without dilution.

But immediately: “God raised him from the dead.”
This is mercy without limit.

The Resurrection does not erase sin — it overcomes it.

In the Gospel, the disciples are still struggling. Even seeing Christ, they hesitate. Joy and doubt coexist. This is deeply human. Faith is not always immediate clarity — it is often a gradual opening.

Jesus responds not with frustration, but with patience. He shows his wounds. He eats before them. He teaches them. Then he opens their minds.

Understanding is a gift.

The Catechism confirms this movement:

• The Resurrection is real, witnessed, and transformative (CCC 639–644)
• Christ’s risen body is physical yet glorified (CCC 645–646)
• Doubt is met with revelation, not rejection (CCC 643)
• Repentance and forgiveness are now offered to all (CCC 976–977)

The final shift is crucial:
“You are witnesses to this.”

Not observers. Witnesses.

Easter is not just something to believe — it is something to live and proclaim.

---

One line to carry today:

Repentance opens the door to the life the risen Christ offers.