Fifth Sunday of Easter
See also:
Mass Readings
First Reading – Acts 9:26-31
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 (R.26a)
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
“May your hearts live forever!” R.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before Him. R.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before Him shall bend
all who go down into the dust. R.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve Him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice He has shown. R.
Second Reading – 1 Jn 3:18-24
Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases Him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in Him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit He gave us.
Gospel – Jn 15:1-8
Jesus 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 every one 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. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Featured Saints
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, priest (†1716). A gifted preacher, he was named a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. Founded the Company of Mary for missionary priests, the Daughters of Divine Wisdom for hospitaller sisters, and the St. Gabriel Brothers for lay brothers dedicated to teaching. Marian saint par excellence, his spirituality is based on love of the Cross and the slavery of love to the Blessed Virgin. See also: Prophet and Missionary.
St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr (†1841). Religious from the Society of Mary (Marist), apostle of Oceania, he received the crown of martyrdom on Futuna Island (French Polynesia), for his evangelizing activity which converted many, including the son of the tribe’s chief.
St. Prudentius, bishop (Seventh century). He became a hermit at the age of 15, and later the Bishop of Tarazona (Spain), outstanding as an unfailing advocate of the poor and afflicted.
Sts. Paul Pham Khac Khoan, John Baptist Dinh Van Thanh and Peter Nguyen Van Hieu, martyrs (†1840). Priests and catechists in Vietnam; after three years in prison they were tortured and beheaded.
Blessed Lucchese, layman (†1260). Wealthy merchant from Poggibonsi, Italy; a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, he distributed his goods among the poor and became a Franciscan tertiary.
Blessed Joseph Cebula, priest and martyr (†1941). Polish priest from the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. For exercising his ministry, which had been banned by the Nazis in power, he was deported to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria, where he was killed.
Blessed Marie Louise of Jesus Trichet, virgin (†1759). First religious and superior of the Congregation of the Daughters of Wisdom, founded by St. Louis de Montfort. She died in SaintLaurent-sur-Sèvre (France).
St. Gianna Beretta Molla, mother of a family (†1962). Pediatrician and mother of four children. While pregnant, a fibrous tumour was discovered in her womb, but she refused to have an abortion, preferring to sacrifice her own life to save that of her daughter who was about to be born.
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