Friday of the Third Week of Easter

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Acts 9.1-20

Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest,
and asked for letters from him
to the synagogues of Damascus,
that if he found any who were of the Way,
whether men or women,
he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he traveled, as he got close to Damascus,
suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.
He fell to the earth,
and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said,
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
But rise up, and enter into the city,
and you will be told what you must do.”

The men who traveled with him
stood speechless,
hearing the sound, but seeing no one.
Saul arose from the ground,
and when his eyes were opened,
he saw nothing.
They led him by the hand,
and brought him into Damascus.
He was without sight for three days,
and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus n
amed Ananias.
The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
He said, “Behold, it is I, Lord.”
The Lord said to him,
“Arise, and go to the street called Straight,
and inquire in the house of Judas
for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus.
For behold, he is praying,
and in a vision he has seen
a man named Ananias coming in,
and laying his hands on him,
that he might receive his sight.”

But Ananias answered,
“Lord, I have heard from many
about this man,
how much evil he did
to your saints at Jerusalem.
Here he has authority
from the chief priests
to bind all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to him,
“Go your way,
for he is my chosen vessel
to bear my name
before nations and kings
and the children of Israel.
For I will show him
how many things he must suffer
for the sake of my name.”

Ananias departed
and entered into the house.
Laying his hands on him, he said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord sent me,
Jesus, who appeared to you
on the way which you came,
that you may receive your sight,
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately something like scales
fell from his eyes, and he received his sight.
He arose and was baptized.
He took food and was strengthened.

Saul stayed several days
with the disciples who were at Damascus.
And immediately in the synagogues
he proclaimed Jesus,
that he is the Son of God.

Responsorial – Psalm 117.1bc, 2 Resp. Mark 16.15

R. Go to all the world and preach the Gospel. or R. Alleluia!

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!

R. Go to all the world and preach the Gospel. or R. Alleluia!

For his loving kindness is great toward us.
The Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

R. Go to all the world and preach the Gospel. or R. Alleluia!

Gospel – John 6.52-59

The Jews argued
with one another, saying,
“How can this one
give us his flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I tell you,
unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Human
and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
The one who eats my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise them up
on the last day.
For my flesh is food indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed.
The one who eats my flesh
and drinks my blood
lives in me and I in them.

As the living Father sent me,
and I live because of the Father;
so he who feeds on me,
he will also live because of me.
This is the bread which came down from heaven—
not like that which our fathers ate and died.
The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
He said these things
in the synagogue,
as he taught in Capernaum.