He was born in Todi in Umbria and elected Pope in 649. He called a synod to combat the Monothelite heresy concerning the nature of Christ. One of the people whose teachings were condemned was supported by the Byzantine Emperor, who in 653 had Martin kidnapped from Rome, taken to Constantinople, imprisoned and eventually exiled to the Crimea, where he died on 1 September 655.

Zeno, a native of North Africa, was appointed bishop of Verona (Northern Italy) in 362. He ministered to his people for about nine years, distinguishing himself for his leadership skills and good pastoral approach. He was close to his people and cared for the poor. In his writings he described many liturgical practices of his Church especially during Holy Week. He preached much against Arianism and fostered the growth of missionary activity in his area. He died in 371.

Entrance Antiphon:  1 Pt 2: 2

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 4:32-35

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

Psalm 117(118):2-4,15-18,22-24

R/      Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

1.      Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’ Let the sons of Aaron say ‘His love has no end.’ Let those who fear the Lord say: ‘His love has no end.’

2.      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.

3.      The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad.

Second reading: 1 John 5:1-6

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God; and whoever loves the Father that begot him loves the child whom he begets. We can be sure that we love God’s children if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us; this is what loving God is – keeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world; this is the victory over the world – our faith. Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God: Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only, but with water and blood; with the Spirit as another witness – since the Spirit is the truth.

Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise. The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb; and Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled. Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Life’s own Champion, slain, yet lives to reign. Tell us, Mary:  say what thou didst see  upon the way. The tomb the Living did enclose; I saw Christ’s glory as he rose! The angels there attesting; shroud with grave-clothes resting. Christ, my hope, has risen: he goes before you into Galilee. That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know. Victorious king, thy mercy show!

Gospel Acclamation: Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ alleluia! 

Gospel: John 20:19-31

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’ and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’ Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept, O Lord, we pray, the oblations of your people (and of those you have brought to new birth), that, renewed by confession of your name and by Baptism, they may attain unending happiness. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Cf. Jn 20: 27

Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia.

Prayer after Communion

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that our reception of this paschal Sacrament may have a continuing effect in our minds and hearts. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

The sacrament of reconciliation nowadays is losing its value. Many of us go for months and years without approaching this beautiful gift, yet continuously approach the Eucharist. We are invited to approach confession with humility and simplicity of heart, always trusting in God’s love and mercy. After encountering Christ and placing his hands in his wounds Thomas’ fath is totally transformed. Today, let’s not doubt the Lord’s presence in our life but rather strive towards a personal relationship with God.

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 (118):1-2, 4, 22-27

R/      The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

1.      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.

2.      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.

3.      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

Today’s passage is a call to review our experience of the Easter week and its impact on us. To what extent have we been able to rejoice with unselfish joy because of Christ who has risen? The disciples are slow to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. But Jesus does not despair of his followers. He still gives them the extraordinary commission to bring the good news to the whole world. The Church throughout the ages echoes this call; every Christian is to be a bearer of the gospel. Let us ask for that grace to be witnesses and evangelisers in word and deed.

Entrance Antiphon:  Cf. Ps 77: 53

The Lord led his people in hope, while the sea engulfed their foes, alleluia.

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, who gave us the Paschal Mystery in the covenant you established for reconciling the human race, so dispose our minds, we pray, that what we celebrate by professing the faith we may express in deeds. 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 4:1-12

While Peter and John were talking to the people the priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. They were extremely annoyed at their teaching the people the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. They arrested them, but as it was already late, they held them till the next day. But many of those who had listened to their message became believers, the total number of whom had now risen to something like five thousand. The next day the rulers, elders and scribes had a meeting in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly families. They made the prisoners stand in the middle and began to interrogate them, ‘By what power, and by whose name have you men done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’

Psalm 117 (118):1-2, 4, 22-27

R/      The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

1.      Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’ Let those who fear the Lord say: ‘His love has no end.’

2.      The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad.

3.      Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success. Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes. We bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord God is our light.

Gospel Acclamation: Ps 117:24

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

Gospel: John 21:1-14

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land. As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

Prayer over the Offerings

Perfect within us, O Lord, we pray,  the solemn exchange brought about by these paschal offerings, that we may be drawn from earthly desires to a longing for the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Cf. Jn 21: 12-13

Jesus said to his disciples: Come and eat. And he took bread and gave it to them, alleluia.

Prayer after Communion

Keep safe, O Lord, we pray, those whom you have saved by your kindness that, redeemed by the Passion of your Son, they may rejoice in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Meditation

Today, we read another story of Jesus’ appearance to more than two of his disciples. Interesting facts: Simon Peter confessed Jesus as “the holy one of God” but is famous for denying Jesus. He later became the leader of the disciples. Thomas is famous for doubting the resurrection; when he encountered the risen Jesus, he confessed, “My Lord and my God!” Nathanael is best known for doubting that anything good could come out of Nazareth – but after meeting Jesus he confessed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel.” Let us also profess our deep faith in the risen Lord.