Acts 15:7-21; John 15

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings and Antiphons on p 529 of the Daily Missal

Entrance Antiphon
Let us sing to the Lord for he has gloriously triumphed. The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation, alleluia.

First Reading: Acts 15:7-21

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

In those days:
After there had been much debate,
Peter rose and said to the apostles and the elders,
“Brothers and sisters,
you know that in the early days God made choice among you,
that by my mouth
the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
And God who knows the heart bore witness to them,
giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;
and he made no distinction between us and them,
but cleansed their hearts by faith.
Now therefore why do you make trial of God
by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples
which neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
But we believe that we shall be saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus,
just as they will.”

And all the assembly kept silence;
and they listened to Barnabas and Paul
as they related what signs and wonders
God had done through them among the Gentiles.
After they finished speaking, James replied,
“Brothers and sisters, listen to me.
Symeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles,
to take out of them a people for his name.
And with this, the words of the prophets agree,
as it is written,
‘After this, I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will set it up,
that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.’ Therefore my judgment is
that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles
who turn to God
but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols
and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
For from early generations
Moses has had in every city those who preach him,
for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues.”

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2a.2b-3.10 (R.see 3)

Let us pray the Responsorial Psalm:

R/. Tell among all the peoples the wonders of the Lord.

O sing a new song to the LORD;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
O sing to the LORD; bless his name.

Proclaim his salvation day by day.
Tell among the nations his glory,
and his wonders among all the peoples.

Say to the nations, “The LORD is king.”
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness.

R/. Tell among all the peoples the wonders of the Lord.

Please stand for the Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
and I know them, and they follow me.
Alleluia.

Gospel: John 15:9-11

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples,
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you;
abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and abide in his love.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be full.”

The Gospel of the Lord