First Reading

Acts of the Apostles (Acts 15: 1-6)

They were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters about this question.

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,

“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”

Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question.
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said,

“It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”

The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 15: 1-8)

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14: 19-28)

They gather the Church together and declared all that God had done with them.

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,

“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”

They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 145: 10-11, 12-13ab, 21

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 14: 27-31a)

My peace I give to you.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14: 5-18)

We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God.

There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.

At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice,

“Stand up straight on your feet.”

He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,

“The gods have come down to us in human form.”

They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,”
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

“Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”

Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.

— The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 115: 1-2, 3-4, 15-16

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
“Where is their God?”

Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.

May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John (Jn 14: 21-26)

The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send, teach you everything.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,

“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name —
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

— The Gospel of the Lord.