May 07, 2023 - Sunday of Samaritan Woman |
Epistle: Acts of Apostles (11: 19 - 26, 29 - 30) In those days those in the community who had been dispersed by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, making the message known to none but Jews. However, some men of Cyprus and Cyrene among them who had come to Antioch began to talk even to the Greeks, announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus to them. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number of them believed and were converted to the Lord. News of this eventually reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, resulting in Barnabas’ being sent to Antioch. On his arrival he rejoiced to see the evidence of God’s favour. He encouraged them all to remain firm in their commitment to the Lord, since he himself was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby large numbers were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul; once he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and instructed great numbers. It was in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians for the first time. This made the disciples determine to set something aside, each according to his means, and send it to the relief of brothers who lived in Judea. They did this, dispatching it to the presbyters in the care of Barnabas and Saul. GOSPEL: John (4: 5 - 43) At that time Jesus came to a Samaritan town named Shechem near the plot of land which Jacob had given to his son Joseph. This was the site of Jacob’s well. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down at the well. The hour was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.’’ (His disciples had gone off to the town to buy provisions.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?’’ (Recall that Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.) Jesus replied: “If only you recognized God’s gift, and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him instead, and he would have given you living water.’’ “Sir,’’ she challenged him, “you do not have a bucket and this well is deep. Where do you expect to get this flowing water? Surely you do not pretend to be greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it with his sons and his flocks?’’ Jesus replied: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life.’’ The woman said to him, “Give me this water, sir, so that I shall not grow thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’’ He said to her, “Go, call your husband, and then come back here.’’ “I have no husband,’’ replied the woman. “You are right in saying you have no husband!’’ Jesus exclaimed. “The fact is, you have had five, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you said is true.’’ “Sir,’’ answered the woman, “I can see you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship God.’’ Jesus told her: “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand, while we understand what we worship; after all, salvation is from the Jews. Yet an hour is coming, and is already here, when authentic worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth. Indeed, it is just such worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.’’ The woman said to him: “I know there is a Messiah coming. (This term means Anointed.) When he comes, he will tell us everything.’’ Jesus replied, “I who speak to you am he.’’ His disciples returning at this point, were surprised that Jesus was speaking with a woman. No one put a question, however, such as “What do you want of him?’’ or “Why are you talking with her?’’ The woman left her water jar and went off into the town. She said to the people: “Come and see someone who told me everything I ever did! Could this not be the Messiah?’’ At that they set out from the town to meet him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.’’ But he told them: “I have food to eat of which you do not know.’’ At this the disciples said to one another, “Do you suppose that someone has brought him something to eat?’’ Jesus explained to them: “Doing the will of him who sent me and bringing his work to completion is my food. Do you not have a saying: ‘Four months more and it will be harvest!’? Listen to what I say: Open your eyes and see! The fields are shining for harvest! The reaper already collects his wages and gathers a yield for eternal life, that sower and reaper may rejoice together. Here we have the saying verified: ‘One man sows; another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you had not worked for. Others have done the labour, and you have come into their gain.” Many Samaritans from that town believed in him on the strength of the woman’s word of testimony: “He told me everything I ever did.’’ The result was that, when these Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them awhile. So he stayed there two days, and through his own spoken word many more came to faith. As they told the woman: “No longer does our faith depend on your story. We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this really is the Saviour of the world.’’ . |
May 14, 2023 - Sunday of Man Born Blind | |
EPISTLE: Acts of Apostles (16: 16 -34)
GOSPEL: John (9: 1 - 38)
|
|
May 18 - Ascension |
|
EPISTLE: Acts of Apostles (1: 1 - 12) In my first account, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up to heaven, having first instructed the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit. In the time after his suffering he showed them in many convincing ways that he was alive, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking to them about the reign of God. On one occasion when he met with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem: “Wait, rather, for the fulfillment of my Father’s promise, of which you have heard me speak. John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’’ While they were with him they asked, “Lord, are you going to restore the rule to Israel now?’’ His answer was: “The exact time it is not yours to know. The Father has reserved that to himself. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth.’’ No sooner had he said this than he was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took him from their sight. They were still gazing up into the heavens when two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,’’ they said, “why do you stand here looking up at the skies? This Jesus who has been taken from you will return, just as you saw him go up into the heavens.’’ After that they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet near Jerusalem -- a mere sabbath’s journey away. GOSPEL: Luke (24: 36 - 53) At that time, Jesus, having been raised from the dead, stood in the midst of his apostles and said to them, “Peace to you.’’ In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you disturbed? Why do such ideas cross your mind? Look at my hands and my feet; it is really I. Touch me, and see that a ghost does not have flesh and bones as I do.’’ As he said this he showed them his hands and feet. They were still incredulous for sheer joy and wonder, so he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?’’ They gave him a piece of cooked fish, which he took and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “Recall those words I spoke to you when I was still with you: everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms had to be fulfilled.’’ Then he opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures. He said to them: “Thus it is written that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. In his name, penance for the remission of sins is to be preached to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of this. See, I send down upon you the promise of my Father. Remain here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’’ Then he led them out near Bethany, and with hands upraised, blessed them. As he blessed, he left them, and was taken up to heaven. They fell down to do him reverence, then returned to Jerusalem filled with joy. There they were to be found in the temple constantly, speaking the praises of God. |
|
|
This page was last updated May 02, 2023
Funerals | Marriages | Scriptures | Parish Events | Service
Schedule | About our
Parish
Catechism | Liturgical Customs | Church
Organizations | Feedback