SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER

Friday

Readings

First Reading
Acts 18:9–18

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 47:2–3, 4–5, 6–7

Gospel
Jn 16:20–23

Meditation on Today’s Readings

Today’s reading from Acts is rather strange. In a vision, the risen Lord assures Paul, “No one will attack and harm you.” Then almost immediately Paul is attacked by his opponents who bring him before the bench of the proconsul Gallio. Gallio, however, has no patience with intra-Jewish disputes. So Paul is released unharmed.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus returns to the theme of his departure. He tells them that what his disciples will witness as the throes of death, his suffering and death, are in fact the pangs of birth.

Isaiah used the image of the woman in labor to announce the arrival of a new day, the day of the Lord (26:16–17; 66:7–10). That day will dawn when Jesus rises. “On that day” their hearts will rejoice and all their questions will be answered. But it seems that in some ways even now after the resurrection we are still waiting, our questions unanswered, forced like Paul into an uneasy truce with the world around us. So Easter comes again to tell us that, from the tomb, a Man—the risen Jesus—has been born into the world. That joy no one can take from us.

The copyright for the Sunday Missal Introductions is:
Copyright (c) 2001, Daughters of St. Paul
The copyright for the Weekday Missal Introduction is:
Copyright (c) 2002, Daughters of St. Paul