Entrance Antiphon Rv 5:9-10
You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us a kingdom and priests for our God, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, raise us up, we pray, to the author of our salvation, who is seated at your right hand, so that when our Saviour comes again in majesty, those you have given new birth in Baptism may be clothed with blessed immortality. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“I have many people in this city.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 18:9-18)
[When Paul was in Corinth,] the Lord said to him one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, “This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to bear with you, O Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things.” And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to this. After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him Priscilla and. Aquila. At Cenchreae he cut his hair, for he had a vow.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 47:2-3.4-5.6-7 (R. Sa)
R/. God is king of all the earth.
All peoples, clap your hands.
Cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome,
the great king over all the earth. R.
He humbles peoples under us and nations under our feet.
Our heritage he chose for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. R.
God goes up with shouts of joy.
The Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God; sing praise!
Sing praise to our king; sing praise ! R.
ALLELUIA Matthew 2b: 19a, 20b
Alleluia. Go and make disciples of all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, to the close of the age. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“No one will take your joy from you. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John I 6:20-23a)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The theme of sorrow and joy of yesterday’s gospel is continued in today’s passage. Jesus tells his disciples that life is a mixture of sorrow and joy, weeping and rejoicing, anguish and ecstasy. But such moments of sorrow, tears and anguish do not last long. There will be the bright light at the end of the tunnel. The trees shed old leaves only to produce new and fresh ones. The grain of wheat dies in order to produce a new plant and more grains. The pain and anguish of childbirth will turn into an ecstatic experience of watching the new born. Our sorrow and tears in this world will turn into the joy of heavenly bliss. Lord, help me to focus on heaven even in the midst of pains and sorrows of this world.