Daily Gospel Reading and Reflection

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of EasterJohn 16:12-15Jesus said to his disciples:"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,he will guide you to all truth."

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of EasterJohn 16:5-11Jesus said to his disciples:"Now I am going to the one who sent me,and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.But if I go, I will send him to you."

Monday of the Sixth Week of EasterJohn 15:26—16:4aJesus said to his disciples: "When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,he will testify to me.And you also testify,because you have been with me from the beginning."

Friday of the Fifth Week of EasterJohn 15:12-17Jesus said to his disciples:“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.No one has greater love than this,to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

Thursday of the Fifth Week of EasterJohn 15:9-11Jesus said to his disciples:“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.Remain in my love.If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,just as I have kept my Father’s commandmentsand remain in his love."

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of EasterJohn 15:1-8Jesus said to his disciples:“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.Remain in me, as I remain in you."

Tuesday of Fifth Week of EasterJohn 14:27-31aJesus said to his disciples:"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.Not as the world gives do I give it to you.Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Monday of the Fifth Week of EasterJohn 14:21-26“I have told you this while I am with you.The Advocate, the Holy Spiritwhom the Father will send in my name --he will teach you everythingand remind you of all that I told you.”

Friday of the Fourth Week of EasterJohn 14:1-6Thomas said to him,“Master, we do not know where you are going;how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Thursday of the Fourth Week of EasterJohn 13:16-20"From now on I am telling you before it happens,so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I sendreceives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the ChurchMatthew 11:25-30At that time Jesus responded:"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to the childlike."

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of EasterJohn 10:22-30So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.My sheep hear my voice;I know them, and they follow me."

Monday of the Fourth Week of EasterJohn 10:11-18Jesus said:“I am the good shepherd.A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.A hired man, who is not a shepherdand whose sheep are not his own,sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,and the wolf catches and scatters them."

Friday of the Third Week of EasterJohn 6:52-59The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,“How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”Jesus said to them,“Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,you do not have life within you.Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day."

Thursday of the Third Week of EasterJohn 6:44-51"I am the bread of life.Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;this is the bread that comes down from heavenso that one may eat it and not die."

Wednesday of the Third Week of EasterJohn 6:35-40Jesus said to the crowds,"I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me will never hunger,and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

Tuesday of the Third Week of EasterJohn 6:30-35So they said to Jesus,“Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me will never hunger,and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Monday of the Third Week of EasterJohn 6:22-29"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"Jesus answered and said to them,"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."

Friday of the Second Week of EasterJohn 6:1-15Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,and distributed them to those who were reclining,and also as much of the fish as they wanted.When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,"Gather the fragments left over,so that nothing will be wasted."

Thursday of the Second Week of EasterJohn 3:31-36The one who comes from above is above all.The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.But the one who comes from heaven is above all.

Wednesday of the Second Week of EasterJohn 3:16-21God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,so that everyone who believes in him might not perishbut might have eternal life.

Tuesday of the Second Week of EasterJohn 3:7b-15"No one has gone up to heavenexcept the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,so must the Son of Man be lifted up,so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

Monday of the Second Week of EasterJohn 3:1-8There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.He came to Jesus at night and said to him,"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,for no one can do these signs that you are doingunless God is with him."

Friday in the Octave of EasterJohn 21:1-14Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"because they realized it was the Lord.Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,and in like manner the fish.This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciplesafter being raised from the dead.

Thursday in the Octave of EasterLuke 24:35-48He said to them,"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,that everything written about me in the law of Mosesand in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.And he said to them,"Thus it is written that the Christ would sufferand rise from the dead on the third dayand that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,would be preached in his nameto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.You are witnesses of these things."

Wednesday in the Octave of EasterLuke 24:13-35Then they said to each other,“Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe Eleven and those with them who were saying,“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Tuesday in the Octave of EasterJohn 20:11-18Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,for I have not yet ascended to the Father.But go to my brothers and tell them,‘I am going to my Father and your Father,to my God and your God.’”Mary went and announced to the disciples,“I have seen the Lord,”and then reported what he had told her.

Monday in the Octave of EasterMatthew 28:8-15Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,fearful yet overjoyed,and ran to announce the news to his disciples.And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,and there they will see me.”

Good Friday of the Lord’s PassionJohn 18:1—19:42After this, Joseph of Arimathea,secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.And Pilate permitted it.So he came and took his body.Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloesweighing about one hundred pounds.They took the body of Jesusand bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,according to the Jewish burial custom.Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;for the tomb was close by.

Wednesday of Holy WeekMatthew 26:14-25One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,went to the chief priests and said,“What are you willing to give meif I hand him over to you?”They paid him thirty pieces of silver,and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

Tuesday of Holy WeekJohn 13:21-33, 36-38Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"Jesus answered him,"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,though you will follow later."Peter said to him,"Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crowbefore you deny me three times."

Monday of Holy WeekJohn 12:1-11Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oilmade from genuine aromatic nardand anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Friday of the Fifth Week of LentJohn 10:31-42He went back across the Jordanto the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.Many came to him and said,“John performed no sign,but everything John said about this man was true.”And many there began to believe in him.

Thursday of the Fifth Week of LentJohn 8:51-59Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,before Abraham came to be, I AM.”So they picked up stones to throw at him;but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the LordLuke 1:26-38Then the angel said to her,“Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,and you shall name him Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of LentJohn 8:21-30So Jesus said to them,“When you lift up the Son of Man,then you will realize that I AM,and that I do nothing on my own,but I say only what the Father taught me.The one who sent me is with me.He has not left me alone,because I always do what is pleasing to him.”Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

Monday of the Fifth Week of LentJohn 8:1-11Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.But when they continued asking him,he straightened up and said to them,“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.And in response, they went away one by one,beginning with the elders.

Friday of the Fourth Week of LentJohn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?"

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin MaryMatthew 1:16, 18-21, 24aSuch was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himand took his wife into his home.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of LentJohn 5:17-30"I cannot do anything on my own;I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,because I do not seek my own willbut the will of the one who sent me."

Monday of the Fourth Week of LentJohn 4:43-54They told him,“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,“Your son will live,”and he and his whole household came to believe.Now this was the second sign Jesus didwhen he came to Galilee from Judea.

Friday of the Third Week of LentMark 12:28-34The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.You are right in saying,He is One and there is no other than he.And to love him with all your heart,with all your understanding, with all your strength,and to love your neighbor as yourselfis worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,he said to him,"You are not far from the Kingdom of God."And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Thursday of the Third Week of LentLuke 11:14-23Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,and when the demon had gone out,the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,he drives out demons."Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.But he knew their thoughts and said to them,"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid wasteand house will fall against house."

Wednesday of the Third Week of LentMatthew 5:17-19Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letterwill pass from the law,until all things have taken place."

Tuesday of the Third Week of LentMatthew 18:21-35Peter approached Jesus and asked him,“Lord, if my brother sins against me,how often must I forgive him?As many as seven times?”Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."

Monday of the Third Week of LentLuke 4:24-30Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:“Amen, I say to you,no prophet is accepted in his own native place.Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israelin the days of Elijahwhen the sky was closed for three and a half yearsand a severe famine spread over the entire land."

Friday of the Second Week of LentMatthew 21:33-43, 45-46The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone;by the Lord has this been done,and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Thursday of the Second Week of LentLuke 16:19-31"Then Abraham said,'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,neither will they be persuadedif someone should rise from the dead.'"

Wednesday of the Second Week of LentMatthew 20:17-28But Jesus summoned them and said,"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,and the great ones make their authority over them felt.But it shall not be so among you.Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serveand to give his life as a ransom for many."

Tuesday of the Second Week of LentMatthew 23:1-12Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,"The scribes and the Phariseeshave taken their seat on the chair of Moses.Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,but do not follow their example.For they preach but they do not practice.They tie up heavy burdens hard to carryand lay them on people's shoulders,but they will not lift a finger to move them."