These two heavy hitters are remembered today, not because they were perfect; rather, they accepted the grace from God that they received and made an offering of their lives to the Lord. May they inspire us today!
We conclude the daily Masses of the Easter season with St. Paul now in Rome – where he will spend the last two years of his life, preaching and teaching others about Jesus.
Serve: What do the readings do or make me say…today?
Let’s take a look at some of the major themes that appear in the Scripture readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter.
1st Reading – Acts 9:26-31
Barnabas brings Saul (St. Paul) before the Apostles, who learn how God has worked through him.
The Holy Spirit builds up the early Church.
Psalm 22:26-27,28,30,31-32
All people shall bow down before the Lord.
Note: this Psalm is extraordinary…verses 1-21 focus on the suffering of the righteous servant of God (Jesus), while verses 22-31 are all about God’s triumph. Give yourself a treat and read it straight through, and think about how it applies to the death and resurrection of Christ.
2nd Reading – 1 John 3:18-24
The Lord commands us to love one another, especially through our actions.
By following the Lord’s commands, we remain in him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Gospel – John 15:1-8
Christ is the vine, we are the branches; the Father tends and prunes the branches so that we bear fruit.
By staying connected to Christ – the vine – we remain in him and he remains in us.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul – two of the great heavy-hitters in Heaven – remind us that the Lord continues to call imperfect people every day to offer their lives for the glory of God.
As we finish our Easter readings from the Acts of the Apostles, we see how both Peter and Paul commit their lives to the Lord. As a chapter of their lives comes to an end, they point us to the beginning of our final destination: eternal life!
