16 April 2026 (Thursday) / Easter Weekday / Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

16 April 2026 (Thursday)

Easter Weekday.
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Acts 5: 27-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 20: 29
Gospel: John 3: 31-36
Liturgical year 2026 (Cycle A/II)
Liturgical color: White or Gold.

First Reading: Acts 5: 27-33

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

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,
28 Saying: Commanding we commanded you, that you should not teach in this name; and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you have a mind to bring the blood of this man upon us.
29 But Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God, rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom you put to death, hanging him upon a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
32 And we are witnesses of these things and the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to all that obey him.
33 When they had heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they thought to put them to death.

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

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

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.
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.
17 But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
18 The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.
19 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.
20 Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or
R. Alleluia.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 20: 29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
29 You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
(24. Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25. So the other disciples said to him, 'We have seen the Lord,' but he answered, 'Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.'
26. Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. 'Peace be with you,' he said.
27. Then he spoke to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe.'
28. Thomas replied, 'My Lord and my God!'
29. Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
30. There were many other signs that Jesus worked in the sight of the disciples, but they are not recorded in this book.
31. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.)

Gospel: John 3: 31-36

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

31 He that cometh from above, is above all. He that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh. He that cometh from heaven, is above all.
32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth: and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal that God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God doth not give the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loveth the Son: and he hath given all things into his hand.
36 He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

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

For our reflection today:

Pope Francis         
11.04.13  Holy Mass Santa Marta    
Acts 5: 27-33, John 3: 31-36

What does “obeying God” mean? Does it mean that we must be like slaves, in bondage? No, the one who obeys God is free, he is not a slave! And how can this be? I obey, I do not follow my own will, how am I free? It seems like a contradiction. It is not a contradiction. In fact, the word “'obey' comes from Latin, it means to listen, to hear others. Obeying God is listening to God, having an open heart to follow the path that God points out to us. Obedience to God is listening to God and it sets us free.

Peter, “in front of these scribes, priests even the high priest, and the Pharisees”, was called “to make a decision”. Peter “heard what the Pharisees and priests said and he listened to what Jesus was saying in his heart: 'what should I do?'. He said: 'I will do what Jesus tells me and not what you want me to do'. And he went ahead like this”.

In our lives we often are proposed things which do not come from Jesus, which do not come from God. It is clear that at times our weaknesses take us down the wrong road. Or even a more dangerous road. We make a pact, a little of God and a little of you. We make this pact and we go forward in life with a double life: a little bit of the life that Jesus tells us about and a little of the life that the world, the forces of the world and many others tell us about. This is a system that's no good. In fact in the book of Revelation, the Lord says: this is not good because you are neither good nor evil. You are lukewarm. I condemn you.

If Peter had said to these priests: 'let's speak like friends and let's find a status vivendi ', perhaps everything would have worked out”. But it would not have been a decision “of love which comes when we listen to Jesus”. It is a decision which has consequences. What happens when we hear Jesus? At times those who make the other proposal get angry and the road finishes with persecution. In this moment, as I said, we have many brothers and sisters that who obey, hear, listen what Jesus asks them under persecution. We must always remember these brothers and sisters who placed themselves in the fire and they tell us with their lives: 'I want to obey and to follow the path that Jesus tells me.

In today's liturgy “the Church invites us to take Jesus' path” and “not to listen to the world's proposals, the so-so proposals, the half and half proposals”. They are, he said, a way of living “that is not right” and they “wont' make us happy”.

In choosing to obey God and not the world, in giving no way to compromise, the Christian is not alone. Where can we find help in finding the way to listening to Jesus? In the Holy Spirit. We ourselves are witnesses to this. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. It is the Holy Spirit inside of us who gives us the strength to go forward. The Gospel of John (cf. 3:31-36), proclaimed at the celebration, includes this beautiful passage of assurance: “'He whom God sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit'. Our Father gives us the Spirit without measure to listen to Jesus, to hear Jesus and to follow the path of Jesus”.

Let us ask for the grace of courage. We will always sin; we are all sinners. But we must have “the courage to say: 'Lord I am a sinner, sometimes I obey mundane things but I want to obey you, I want follow your path”. Let us ask for this grace, to always follow on Jesus' path. And when we do not, let us ask for forgiveness: the Lord forgives us, because he is so good.

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)