Blessed When We Persevere in the Spirit of God and Faith in Him Against All These Worldly Distractions!

 

I nothing lack if I am in Him! We need to persevere with our faith in God with all these earthly carnal distractions of this world. Be an Israel and not a Jacob! Follow God! Win the war within! Side with God, with Him you need nothing more! Stay on the high road with integrity and honor God! God's knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is worth more than any choice gold! Be educated in God alone, not in all these human and earthly endeavors. We need to choose the tree of life! Let God's will be done in our lives! I loved all the readings this week from church! So uplifting! Finally, Paul and Barnabas are more accepted in their teachings of Jesus Christ unlike last week's reading when they were expelled from towns, "they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." What a blessing! Thank you God! I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God! We really are blessed as we are reminded in Revelations this week that God said, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” The One who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”  Glory be to God! We truly are blessed by God!  Before Jesus left this earthly world he reminded us and said, "...I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." This is all Jesus is asking. He wants us to love one another as He has loved us. Today, we even find priests, elected, so called leaders, and gentiles ignore one another, avoid them, dismiss them, wish them away, this is not love. Jesus wants us to love each other and be disciples of His. We are reminded this week that we are truly blessed when we persevere in the Spirit of God, having great faith in Him alone, not letting these worldly carnal distractions get us down, stay in Spirit with God always and do you best to love your fellow man and be joyful in the Lord always! 

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Reading I
Acts 14:21-27
After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news
to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
            slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
            and compassionate toward all his works.
R I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
            and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
            and speak of your might.
R I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R Alleluia.
Let them make known your might to the children of Adam,
            and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
            and your dominion endures through all generations.
R I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R Alleluia.

Reading II
Revelations 21:1-5a
Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people
and God himself will always be with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed away.”
The One who sat on the throne said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
 

Alleluia
John 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 13:31-33a, 34-35
When Judas had left them, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”