First Reading

Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19)

The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead.

Peter said to the people:

“The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 4: 2, 4, 7-8, 9

Lord, let your face shine on us.

When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.

As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint John (1 Jn 2: 1-5a)

He is expiation for our sins and for those of the whole world.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep
his commandments.
Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments
are liars, and the truth is not in them.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us; make our hearts burn while you speak to us.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke (Lk 24: 35-48)

Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them,

“Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”

And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them,

“Have you anything here to eat?”

They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,

“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

Second Sunday of Easter and Sunday of God's mercy: faith is strong in hope and love; you believed, Thomas, because you saw me, but blessed is the one who did not see and yet believed. Sometimes we are not yet mature in our faith, and it is difficult for us to believe fully in the word of God. The character of Thomas in his desire to analyse the truth about faith is what Christians should have in order to be able to study faith assiduously through catechesis... Being a believer requires a lot of effort.....

First Reading

The Acts the Apostles (Acts 4: 32-35)

One heart and mind.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Second Reading

First Letter of Saint John (1 Jn 5: 1-6)

Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.

— The word of the Lord.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 20: 19-31)

Now a week later, Jesus came.

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again,

“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him,

“We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them,

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said,

“Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas,

“Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Thomas answered and said to him,

“My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him,

“Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

— The Gospel of the Lord.

Easter Sunday: Jesus really did rise from the dead; Christ, who is Easter in the Lord for us, was killed. What we celebrate at Easter is not something of the past, but we humans are really entering into the mystery of Jesus' Easter: he suffered, died and rose again. Every time the Church performs the Holy Sacrifice, she celebrates Jesus' Easter. Every time we attend mass and celebrate Easter, we encounter the risen Jesus. Witness requires a change of character, because Jesus, when he conquered death, purified the bad character and evil committed before, and this is the effort of this Easter, so that there may be joy in a family...

For a genuine and authentic transformation

“Let your love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Message from the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar to the Catholic faithful, to the leaders and officials of the nation, to young Malagasy people without distinction, to all our compatriots, and to all people of good will.

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Love and Salvation

Christmas is a great joy, because it is the love of God that has come to us, proclaims Fr. Bizimana Innocent, Provincial Superior of the Salesians Don Bosco of Madagascar and Mauritius, presenting his Christmas greetings. Salvation is accomplished, so life is not in danger of disappearing. It is this love and this salvation that we wish to fill our life so that we have peace.

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Zatti, our brother

The short film "Zatti, our brother" (Argentina, 2020) focuses on one of the most difficult episodes of his life. We are in Viedma, in 1941: at the age of 60, Zatti is forced to leave the hospital he has attended for decades. His faith and strength are tested.

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