Fourth Week of Easter
26th April 2024 (Friday)
Psalter: Week 4
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Acts 13:26-33
In those days: [When Paul came to Antioch of Pisidia, he said in the synagogue,] “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
Psalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11a (R. 7bc)
R/. You are my son. It is I who have begotten you this day.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. I am the way, and the truth, and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : John 14:1-6
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Friday – Fourth Week of Easter
Guidelines: Many hearts are troubled. Many live in constant tension and fear over many things in life. But when we believe in God, we can experience tranquillity and strength
1. The life of the present times seems to be a constant story of trouble and turmoil. The reasons can be many and varied. It is not necessarily poverty and misery. Even the rich and capable people also feel troubled and worried. Thus, trouble and worry are common factors that affect everyone in one way or another.
2. In such a context, the words of Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled” in the gospel are very comforting and soothing. He invites us to “believe in him” and follow him who is “the way, the truth, and the life”. However, he does not promise the complete vanish of all the trouble. Rather, he assures us how to be serene and untroubled even amidst all the disturbances.
3. The assertion of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth and the life” is one of the greatest self-revelation of his identity. However, it is not so much about what he is in himself but what he is and what he does to us. They indicate to us what we must do if we want to be untroubled.
4. We must know his way and follow it; it is a narrow way, uncompromising and authentic. It is not the false and broader ways of the world. We must accept and follow his truth. We must avoid falsity and duplicity and be truthful. We must live his life, a life that is divine, new, and a foretaste of eternity.
Practice: It is not proper to argue whether war and turmoil stop completely if we pray and repent and abandon sin. Rather, what we must understand is sin, lack of prayer and repentance certainly cause trouble
