SATURday 15 APRIL

SAINT PATERNUS

He is the first saint of the 5th century. He followed his father’s path by becoming a hermit in Wales. He was known for his preaching, charity and mortifications.

Entrance Antiphon: Ps 104: 43

The Lord brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing, alleluia.

Collect

O God, who by the abundance of your grace, give increase to the peoples who believe in you, look with favour on those you have chosen and clothe with blessed immortality those reborn through the Sacrament of Baptism. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading: Acts 4:13-21

The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.” So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, “You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.” The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.

Psalm 117: 1, 14-21

R/ I will thank you, Lord, for you have given answer.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. The Lord is my strength and my song; he was my saviour. There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the just.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, but not doomed to die.

Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.

Gospel Acclamation: Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia! This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad. Alleluia!

Gospel:  Mark 16:9-15

Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him. After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either. Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.”

Prayer over the Offerings

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may always find delight in these paschal mysteries, so that the renewal constantly at work within us may be the cause of our unending joy. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Gal 3: 27

All of you who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ, alleluia.

Prayer after Communion

Look with kindness upon your people, O Lord, and grant, we pray, that those you were pleased to renew by eternal mysteries may attain in their flesh the incorruptible glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

“Then he said to them, ‘Go into the world. Proclaim the gospel: to all creation.’” Go! Proclaim it! This double injunction of the risen Christ to his disciples gives to the Church its characteristic as being substantially missionary. From Mary Magdalene to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, through Simon Peter, John and all the disciples, the mystery of Christ’s exit from the tomb becomes for all of them the paradigm of all exits: exits from all fear to welcome the peace of Christ, exits from anguish to communicate the Good News and finally exits because they are sent by the risen one to the ends of the earth as messengers of his resurrection. Indeed, it is for the whole of creation that Christ died and came out of the tomb alive.