Daily Readings for May 10, 2018

1st READING

Paul had very little success when he spoke to the Jewish communities in Corinth. The Jews threw him out and told him never to return. We are all free to accept or reject the Gospel. But Paul warns the Corinthians that to reject it means our fate rests on our own heads. Only God can save us. To reject the Good News out of pride is one of the worst decisions we can ever make.

Acts 18:1-8

1 Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them 3 and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next to a synagogue. 8 Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

P S A L M 

Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R: The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) 2 The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. 3 He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. 4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

GOSPEL 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to us about the joy that can only come from the work of the Holy Spirit within us. There is no greater privilege than this. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit strengthen us in our faith journey. The more grace, the more power from the Spirit will be made available to us for the work of the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord; I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.

John 16:16-20

16 Jesus said to his disciples: “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks? We do not know what he means.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”