8 May 2026 (Friday) | Easter Weekday | Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

8 May 2026 (Friday)

Easter Weekday.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter.

The Word of the day is a daily podcast featuring the readings in the Vatican liturgical calendar accompanied by a commentary from one of the Popes of recent times.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Acts 15: 22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12 ℟. 10a or: ℟. Alleluia.
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 15: 15b
Gospel: John 15: 12-17
Liturgical year 2026 (Cycle A/II)
Liturgical color: White or Gold.

First Reading: Acts 15: 22-31

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

22 Then it pleased the apostles and ancients, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company, and to send to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
23 Writing by their hands: The apostles and ancients, brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles that are at Antioch, and in Syria and Cilicia, greeting.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that some going out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment:
25 It hath seemed good to us, being assembled together, to choose out men, and to send them unto you, with our well beloved Barnabas and Paul:
26 Men that have given their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also will, by word of mouth, tell you the same things.
28 For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things:
29 That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.
30 They therefore being dismissed, went down to Antioch; and gathering together the multitude, delivered the epistle.
31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

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

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12 ℟. 10a or: ℟. Alleluia.

R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or
R. Alleluia.
8 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will Sing, and rehearse a psalm.
9 Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or
R. Alleluia.
10 I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations.
12 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or
R. Alleluia.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia: John 15: 15b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
15b I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: John 15: 12-17

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

12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.
15 I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
16 You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

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

For our reflection today:

The words of the Popes.

In his long farewell discourse to his disciples, Jesus says this: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (Jn 15:15-16). But this is a blank cheque: “whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will give to you”! God is a friend, an ally, a spouse. In prayer one can establish an intimate relationship with him, so much so that in the “Our Father” Jesus taught us to address to him a series of questions. We can ask God everything, everything; explain everything, recount everything. It does not matter if we feel flawed in our relationship with God: we are not good friends, we are not grateful children, we are not faithful spouses. He continues to love us. God is always close to our heart’s door and he waits for us to open it to him. And sometimes he knocks on the heart, but he is not intrusive: he waits. God’s patience with us is the patience of a father, of one who loves us dearly. I would say it is the combined patience of a father and a mother. Always close to our heart, and when he knocks he does so with tenderness and with much love. (Pope Francis, General audience, 13 May 2020)

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)