Wednesday in the 3rd Week of Easter
Mass Readings
First Reading – Acts 8:1b-8
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing. For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured. There was great joy in that city.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a (R. 1)
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of His name;
proclaim His glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are Your deeds!” R.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to You,
sing praise to Your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
His tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. R.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in Him.
He rules by His might forever. R.
Gospel – Jn 6:35-40
Jesus 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. But I told you that although you have seen Me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to Me, because I came down from Heaven not to do My own will but the will of the one who sent Me. And this is the will of the one who sent Me, that I should not lose anything of what He gave Me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise Him on the last day.”
Featured Saints
St. Oportuna of Montreuil , abbess (†c. 770). Sister of St. Godegrand, the bishop of Séez. As abbess, St. Oportuna was considered a true mother to all of her nuns and was famed for her personal abstinence and austerity.
St. Caius, Pope (†296). Escaped the Diocletian Persecution and died as a confessor of the Faith.
St. Soter, Pope (†175). He stood out for his admirable charity toward needy pilgrims, the indigent and those condemned to forced labour.
St. Agapitus I, Pope (†536). He steadfastly worked so that the Bishop of Rome would be freely chosen by the clergy of the city and that everywhere the dignity of the Church would be preserved. He died in Constantinople, where he went to meet with Emperor Justinian.
St. Theodore of Sykeon, bishop and abbot (†613). As an anchorite, he founded a monastery to accommodate his numerous disciples. After being elected Bishop of Anastasiopolis, he asked to return to hermetic life. He died in Sykeon, present-day Turkey.
St. Leonides, martyr (†204). Father of Origen of Alexandria, put to death by the sword in that Egyptian city during the persecution of Septimius Severus, when his son was but a young boy.
St. Maryahb, martyr (†341). Persian archdeacon martyred during the persecution of King Shapur II. His name means: “The Lord disposes.”
St. Senorina, abbess (†circa 980). Descendent of a noble family of Braga, Portugal. She took the habit in the convent of St. John of Venaria, of which she became abbess.
Image gallery
