Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
In most dioceses, the Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to Sunday, May 16.
Featured Saints and Commemorations
Our Lady of Fatima. Optional Memorial. Day of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, asking that the Holy Rosary be prayed every day for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world. See also: A Prophetic Message, and The God of Vengeance is Drawing near and He Will Prevail by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.
St. Servatius, bishop (†circa 384). Bishop of Tongeren (Belgium) and Maastricht (Holland), he fought alongside St. Athanasius against the Arian heresy.
St. Andrew Hubert Fournet, priest (†1834). Parish priest from Puy-en-Vélay, France, he took refuge in Spain during the French Revolution. He later returned to France and founded, together with Blessed Elizabeth Bichier des Âges, the Congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Cross.
St. Agnes of Poitiers, abbess (†588). Consecrated by St. Germain of Paris, she governed the Monastery of the Holy Cross of Poitiers with a true spirit of charity.
Blessed Magdalene Albrici, abbess (†1465). Augustinian religious from the Monastery of Brunate, Italy. As abbes, she inspired the desire for perfection in her sisters.
Blessed Gemma of Goriano, virgin († 1465 ). Young shepherdess who confined herself to a small cell beside the Church of Goriano Sicoli, Italy, in order to lead a life of prayer and penance.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Acts 18:1-8
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next to a synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (R/. cf. 2b)
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for He has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for Him,
his holy arm. R.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel. R.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.R.
Gospel – Jn 16:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A little while and you will no longer see Me,
and again a little while later and you will see Me.”
So some of his disciples said to one another,
“What does this mean that He is saying to us,
‘A little while and you will not see Me,
and again a little while and you will see Me,’
and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which He speaks?
We do not know what He means.”
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so he said to them,
“Are you discussing with one another what I said,
‘A little while and you will not see Me,
and again a little while and you will see Me’?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”
