23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20 For the first reading this weekend, the church gives us a passage from the ancient Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s name in Hebrew in effect was a prayer, “May God make (him) strong.” It was fitting since, as the prophet himself said and indeed said […]

21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20 The first section of the Book of Isaiah provides this weekend with its first reading. In this reading, Isaiah speaks for God. With God’s authority Isaiah declared that a new master of the court should be named. (The master functioned as the king’s chief […]

13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42 This weekend’s first reading is from the first of two books in the Bible that bear a name suggesting that they are about the kings of Israel. Kings are mentioned, but from a very particular view. Kings were judged on how […]

FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58 This weekend the church celebrates the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, or as perhaps it is better known by its Latin translation, Corpus Christi. The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy, one of the first five books of […]

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 2:14a, 36-41; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10 Readings from the Acts of the Apostles frequently occur during the Easter season. They clearly show not just life in general in the first Christian community but quite expressly reveal the special place among the early Christians of the Apostles, and that Peter […]

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 With deep faith and faith-filled excitement, the church continues the celebration it began a week and a day ago of Easter, the Lord’s resurrection and final victory over death and sin. As is the case in almost every Mass of this season, the first […]

8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 49:14-15; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34 For its first reading this weekend, the church presents a rather short selection from the final part of the Book of Isaiah. By the time this passage was written, the Jews, long trapped in exile in Babylon, had returned home. The conquest of […]

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts of Apostles 5:27-39, 40b-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 Again this weekend, the church presents as its first reading for liturgy in Eastertime a passage from the Acts of the Apostles. The mere construction of Acts is a lesson. Actually, it is a continuation of St. Luke’s Gospel. Its underlying lesson […]

The church celebrates the Easter Vigil late in the evening on Holy Saturday. These readings are those read during Masses on Easter Sunday itself.

For its first reading on this extraordinary feast of Christian faith, the church presents us with a passage from the Acts of the Apostles. Acts is in effect a continuation of St. Luke’s Gospel. Scholars say that this Gospel and Acts were the work of the same author. Beginning with the Ascension, Acts reports what life was like for the infant community of Christians in Jerusalem, and then it recalls the initial spread of Christianity.