Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Acts 15.22-31

Then it seemed good
to the Apostles and the presbyters,
with the whole Church,
to choose men out of their company,
and send them to Antioch
with Paul and Barnabas:
Judas called Barsabbas and Silas,
chief men among the brothers.

They wrote these things by their hand:
“The Apostles and the presbyters,
brothers to those in Antioch, Syria, and Kilikia,
brothers from the nations: Greetings.
Because we have heard
that some who went out from us
have troubled you with words,
unsettling your souls, saying,
‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’
(to whom we gave no mandate);

it seemed good to us,
having come to one accord,
to choose out men
and send them to you
with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
humans who have risked their lives
for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas,
who themselves will also tell you
the same things by word of mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit,
and to us,
to lay no greater burden on you
than these necessary things:
that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from things strangled,
and from sexual immorality.
If you keep yourselves from these,
it will be well with you. Farewell.”

So, when they were sent off,
they came to Antioch.
Having gathered the multitude together,
they delivered the letter.
When they had read it,
they rejoiced over the encouragement.

Responsorial – Psalm 57.8-9, 10+12 Resp. 10a

R. I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. or R. Alleluia!

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises.
Wake up, my soul! Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake up the dawn.

R. I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. or R. Alleluia!

I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens,
and your truth to the skies.
Be exalted, God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.

R. I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. or R. Alleluia!

Gospel – John 15.12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment,
that you love one another,
even as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this,
that someone lay down their life
for their friends.

You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you slaves,
for the slave does not know
what their Lord does.
But I have called you friends,
for everything that I heard from my Father,
I have made known to you.
You did not choose me,
but I chose you,
and appointed you,
that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit should remain;
so that whatever you will ask
of the Father in my name,
he may give it to you.
I command these things to you,
so that you will love one another.”