FRIDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTERTIDE - 2026

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. MT 4:4

ACTS 5:34-42

My Soul's Beloved,

We see how this is played out even to this day. Truly, nothing under the heavens is new, as the writer has said, what was will be until You return in glory. Gamaliel reminded the members of the Sanhedrin that no one can stop the work of God if it is indeed His work; if not, those who form various groups and factions, even if done in His Name but to divide rather than unite, will continue to fragment, while some will disappear altogether. Instead of just letting the disciples go with a warning, they ordered them flogged, hoping that this would deter them from preaching the Good News of our salvation. They were mistaken then, and those who oppose the Church are mistaken now. 

Through the centuries, the Church You founded on the Rock of Peter stands unmoved despite the devil's tireless war against her through his human agents, whom he and his kind have infested. The world that is constantly at war with the Church continues to discover that when they fight the Catholic Church, they are fighting not a human institution but a divine one. She, however, despite every earthly power that has striven mightily against her to destroy her, keeps growing exponentially; this is the work of the Holy Spirit. The world is hungry for truth, beauty, and goodness, and these are found in their fullness only in the Church that You instituted. 

Over and above this, Lord, we have Your assurance that the gates of hell shall never prevail against her. We know this to be true, and men and women continue to discover that only the truth embodied in You and hence in Your Church can satisfy the deepest hunger and longing for God present in every human heart. And just like the Apostles and disciples, to this day, martyrs go to their death joyfully exulting in the honor of being considered worthy to suffer humiliation for the sake of Your Name. Their blood will not be spilled in vain but will cause many more to come into the Church and be saved.  

One member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the Law and respected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the apostles taken outside for a time. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, ‘Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people. There was Theudas who became notorious not so long ago. He claimed to be someone important, and he even collected about four hundred followers; but when he was killed, all his followers scattered and that was the end of them. And then there was Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters; but he got killed too, and all his followers dispersed. What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.’
His advice was accepted; and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.
They preached every day both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.

PSALM 26(27):1,4,13-14

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

JOHN 6:1-15