Dear Brother and Sister in Christ,
Welcome to Catholic Mass Readings and Catholic Reflections Daily in Biblemsg.com.
We are on the April 21, 2023 in the 2nd Week of Easter. Today’s Mass readings Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15. Gospel Theme of the day is Multiplication of the Loaves
Table of Contents
Readings of the Day
First Reading
Acts 5:34-42
34 But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time, 35 and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37 After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38 So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42 And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Response: (see 4abc) One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or: Alleluia.
Gospel
John 6:1-15
1 After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee [of Tiberias]. 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 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. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
Powerful Catholic Reflections Daily
1. The wisdom of Gamaliel is profound and straightforward: If the work of the Apostles regarding Jesus is divine, no human power can halt or destroy it; however, if it is solely human, it will naturally come to an end. We should take heed of this sage advice.
2. It’s important to recognize that when we oppose or try to suppress something good, we may unwittingly be opposing God Himself. Gamaliel’s counsel reminds us of this fact, and there is much to learn from it.
3. People often attempt to destroy the good due to human factors such as envy, arrogance, or selfishness, but they fail to recognize the significant risk they are taking. By opposing the good, they may become enemies of God, as all that is good is divine while all that is evil is of the devil.
4. The Apostles offer us valuable lessons, not just in their steadfast faith and witness in the face of persecution, but also in their perspective on suffering.
5. Instead of resenting adversity or trying to escape it, the Apostles embrace it with joy and consider it an honor to suffer for God. They do not complain of injustice, condemn their adversaries, or even ask God for deliverance.
6. The perfect attitude of synodality, which we celebrate today, reflects this approach. The Apostles exemplify the principles of “communion, participation, and mission” in their testimony to the Lord.
7. The gospel story of the multiplication of loaves illustrates these principles in action, as the Apostles actively engage with the problem, analyze the difficulties, assess the gravity, explore potential solutions, pool their resources, and place them at the Lord’s disposal, ultimately trusting in His miraculous intervention.
8. By participating in the Lord’s intervention, the Apostles become co-sharers in His work, and the leftover provisions serve as a tangible reminder of His abundance and grace.
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