15 April 2026 (Wednesday) / Easter Weekday / Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

15 April 2026 (Wednesday)

Easter Weekday.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Acts 5: 17-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 3: 16
Gospel: John 3: 16-21
Liturgical year 2026 (Cycle A/II)
Liturgical color: White or Gold.

First Reading: Acts 5: 17-26

(Reader) A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

17 Then the high priest rising up, and all they that were with him, (which is the heresy of the Sadducees,) were filled with envy.
18 And they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19 But an angel of the Lord by night opening the doors of the prison, and leading them out, said:
20 Go, and standing speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 Who having heard this, early in the morning, entered into the temple, and taught. And the high priest coming, and they that were with him, called together the council, and all the ancients of the children of Israel; and they sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the ministers came, and opening the prison, found them not there, they returned and told,
23 Saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all diligence, and the keepers standing before the doors; but opening it, we found no man within.
24 Now when the officer of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were in doubt concerning them, what would come to pass.
25 But one came and told them: Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple standing, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the officer with the ministers, and brought them without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

(Reader) The Word of the Lord.
(All) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.
2 I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth.
3 In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.
4 O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.
5 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.
6 Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.
7 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.
8 The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him: and shall deliver them.
9 O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 3: 16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
16 God so love the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
(16. For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17. For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.)

Gospel: John 3: 16-21

(Reader) A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
(All) Glory to you, O Lord.

16 For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him.
18 He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.
20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.
21 But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.

(Reader) The Gospel of the Lord.
(All) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

For our reflection today:

MORNING MASS IN THE CHAPEL OF THEDOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAE
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
"Let the light of God enter in usso we do not become like bats in the darkness"Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Introduction

At this moment, in which unity between ourselves and nations is very necessary, let us pray today for Europe, so that Europe might succeed in creating this fraternal unity the founding fathers dreamt of.

Homily

This passage from the Gospel of John, chapter 3 (see Jn 16-21), the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, is a true theological treatise. Everything is here: kerygma, catechesis, theological reflection, parenesis… everything is here. Every time that we read it we find more wealth, more explanations, more things that help us to understand God’s revelation. It would be good to read it many times in order to draw near to the mystery of the Redemption.

Today I will take just two points from all of this, two points that are in today’s passage. The first is the revelation of God’s love. God loves us, and He loves us madly, as one of the saints used to say. God’s love appears to be madness. He loves us: “God loved the world so much that He gave us His only son” (Jn 3:16). And He sent Him to die on the cross. And every time that we look at the cross, we find this love. The crucifix is truly the great book of God’s love. It is not an object to put here or to place there, beautiful, not so beautiful, an antique, or modern, no. It is truly an expression of God’s love. God loved us so much that He sent His Son, who annihilated Himself to the point of death on the cross, out of love. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (see v. 16).

How many people, how many Christians spend time gazing at the crucifix? There they find everything, because they have understood, the Holy Spirit makes them understand that all knowledge, all God’s love, all Christian wisdom is there. Paul speaks about this, explaining that all his human reasoning served him up to a certain point, but the true reasoning, the most beautiful way of thinking, but also that which explains everything, is Christ’s cross: it is a scandal (see I Cor 1:23), it is folly, but it is the way. And this is God’s love. “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son”. And why? “So that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life”. The love of God, who wants His children to be with Him.

To look at the Cross in silence, to look at the wounds, to look at the heart of Jesus, to look at it all: Christ crucified, the Son of God, annihilated, humiliated… out of love. This is the first point that today we are shown by this treatise of theology, which is Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus.

The second point that will help us, too: “The light has come into the world, but men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). Jesus also picks up this theme of light. There are people - we too, very often - who cannot live in the light because they are accustomed to the dark. The light blinds them, they are unable to see. They are humans who are like bats, which only know how to move about at night. And we too, when we are in sin, are in this state: we cannot tolerate the light. It is more convenient for us to live in darkness. The light hits us in the face, it makes us see what we do not want to see. What’s worse is that the eyes of the soul, the more they live in darkness, the more they grow accustomed to it, and become ignorant of what light is. One loses a sense of light through growing more accustomed to the darkness. And many human scandals, so much corruption, prove this. Those who are corrupt do not know what the light is, they do not know. We too, when we are in a state of sin, distance ourselves from the Lord and become blind. We feel better when we are in the darkness and we move about in this way, without seeing, like the blind, as best we can.

Let us allow the love of God, who sent Jesus to save us, enter into us, and may the light that Jesus brings (see v. 19), the light of the Spirit, enter into us and help us to see things with God’s light, with the true light and not the shadows that the lord of darkness gives us.

Two things, today: the love of God in Christ, in the crucifix, in daily life. And the question we can ask ourselves every day: “Do I walk in the light or do I walk in the darkness? Am I a child of God or have I ended up like a poor bat?”

Spiritual Communion:
Those who cannot receive communion can now make a spiritual communion:
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if you were already there, and I unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
(Saint Alphonsus Liguori)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Pelayan Atasan Tertinggi / Most High Servant,
Yesus, Maria, Yusuf Pelayanan Kasih / Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love 
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)

My vocation is Blessed and Saints.

"I am the most humble of all the Saints in Heaven" Mary, Mother of God."

"I am the handmaid of the Lord, said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me."

Mother Mary is the most humble Saint in Heaven and she is also the Mother of God for us all
(Luke 1:38)