Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter
No Exclusiveness
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
In their particularism, the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia wanted to monopolise salvation, perhaps allowing pagans to share in it later through them. For this reason, they reject Christ, his Gospel and his missionaries. But no particularistic group can monopolise Christ. He came as the light of the whole world. By coming among us, Christ accepted people, so to speak, on their own terms, to save them in their own situation, mentality, and culture. So the Church of the Apostles was to welcome not only Jews, but also pagans. So that the Church to be missionary today is by welcoming all and serving all. In this way, the Church will do as Christ did: be the sign of Christ to the world, showing that the distant God is close to us and present in us.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you are distant and unknown, and yet so near
that you know and love and save us
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
May he be present in us and in our actions
that we may do the same works
of justice, truth and loving service
and thus, become the sign to the world,
that your Son is alive
and that you are a saving God,
now and forever.
First Reading
Almost the entire city gathered on the following Sabbath to listen to Paul, who spoke quite a long time about the Lord.
But the presence of such a crowd made the Jews jealous. So they began to oppose with insults, whatever Paul said.
Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out firmly, saying:
It was necessary for God’s word to be first proclaimed to you, but since you now reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we turn to the non-Jewish people.
For thus we were commanded by the Lord:
I have set you as a light to the pagan nations,
so that you may bring my salvation
to the ends of the earth.
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and praised the Lord’s message; all those destined for eternal life believed in it.
Thus, the word spread throughout the whole region.
Some of the Jews, however, incited God-fearing women of high status and the leading men of the city, stirring up intense persecution against Paul and Barnabas. Ultimately, they had them expelled from the area.
The apostles shook the dust off their feet in protest against these people and went to Iconium,
leaving the disciples filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know him, and you have seen him.”
Philip asked him:
“LORD, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him:
“I have been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do.
Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do. They will even do greater things than these because I am going to the Father.
Everything you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Indeed, whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, that we may listen with attention and joy to the Word of God and come to know the Lord better, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may not selfishly keep the Lord Jesus for ourselves only but make him known to others by the way we live his Good News, we pray:
– For our Christian communities, that we may be fervent in prayer and ask in the name of Jesus for more unity and love, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
in these signs of bread and wine,
you give us your Son as the light to all people,
but only if we believe that we can see the light.
Give us these eyes of faith
and let the light of your Son
shine in the works we do,
that people may praise you.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus,
who lives in you for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
through your Son Jesus Christ
you entered our world to save people
in their concrete situation and mentality.
Through your Son, who is with us now,
open your Church and missionaries and all of us
to welcome all peoples with love
and to accompany them with humility
in their mentality and culture
on their road to you.
We are sure that you will hear our prayer,
for we ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Blessing
If we believe and love him deeply, we would like to see God, to know him better. Perhaps, we can show to the people around us a bit the face of God in our goodness and love. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
JOHN 14:7-14
Ask, and you will receive
John the Evangelist used Philip’s misunderstanding to underline his message to his community, to whom he wrote the Gospel, towards the end of the first century: Jesus is the Son of God the Father, and he lives in the Father. If anyone wishes to see God the Father, look at His Son, who revealed himself to us.
Many people in the course of their lives echo the same request of Philip: Show us the Father. Since God in himself is invisible and unseen, it is not unusual to hear this question from our surroundings: Where is God? Is God real?, and “What is God like? For us, Christians, the question has already been answered. God is like Jesus. To know the person and teachings of Jesus is to know God.
For John’s readers, who had not known Jesus personally, it was their own experience of fraternity and the work of the risen Christ in them that would explain that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Today, that is how we grow in our faith in Christ. Although we don’t see the person of Jesus, we experience his presence and his works in our lives, in the life of the Church and in the world.
The Gospel ends with a huge promise: Jesus repeatedly tells us in the gospels that if we ask, we will receive. When we ask in Jesus’s name, it is not that Jesus forwards our prayers on our behalf to God the Father; rather, the Father will reward us directly and instantly. Hence, why do we not ask so that we may receive and our joy may be full?
Today, let us make a list of the most authentic needs of your heart and go shopping with the Lord at his store of blessings.
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John 14: 7-14
Ask, and You Will Receive:
In today’s Gospel, we see Philip's confusion as he asks Jesus to show him the Father, a request that many of us have likely asked in our own lives: "Where is God?" "What is God like?" In the first century, the people of John's community, who had never seen Jesus in the flesh, were learning to understand the profound truth that God is revealed through Jesus. As John the Evangelist writes, Jesus is the Son of the Father, and if we want to know God, we look at Jesus. To know Him is to know the Father.
For us, Christians, the question is already answered. We are invited to look at Jesus—not just at His teachings, but at the person of Jesus Himself, and in doing so, we encounter God. Though we do not see Jesus physically, we can experience His presence through His works in our lives, in the Church, and in the world. As we walk in faith, it is the living Christ who reveals God to us daily, inviting us into deeper relationship with the Father.
The Gospel passage also brings a powerful promise: if we ask in Jesus’ name, we will receive. This is not simply about asking for our desires, but asking for what aligns with God’s will. Jesus assures us that God the Father will answer our prayers directly, not through a middleman, but with the fullness of His love. This is a reminder that we should not hesitate to ask, for it is through prayer that our hearts are opened to God's grace and blessings.
Today, take a moment to reflect on the deepest needs of your heart. Bring them before God in prayer, knowing that He hears you. Ask with confidence, trust in His love, and believe that your joy will be made complete in Him.