Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection April 30, 2026
Thursday – 4th Week of Easter
30th April 2026 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 4
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 13: 13-25
Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27 R.(2)
R/. I will sing forever of your mercies, O Lord
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your blood.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: John 13:16-20
[When Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples, he said to them,] Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Thursday – 4th Week of Easter
Main Point: To be truly spiritually great, we shouldn’t put ourselves above others to get attention in this world. Instead, we should humbly lower ourselves to serve, knowing that the servant is never greater than the master.
1. Today’s Gospel says that Jesus sets a high standard for true disciples: “No slave is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than the one who sent him.” After washing His disciples’ dirty feet, He says these things right away. He purposely breaks our ideas about what power and respect mean in this world, showing us that real divine authority is always shown through deep service.
2. We often refuse to follow this order. People in our society are totally hooked on labels, fame, and the never-ending quest for self-promotion. It’s sad that we often let this unhealthy desire get into our spiritual lives. We want to be in charge of our own well-organized religious countries and are secretly looking for praise and admiration for our faith. We don’t want to do the hard, hidden work of helping our neighbours.
3. The Lord tells us about the dangerous split between knowing the truth and living it. He says, “If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” Adhering to Catholic teachings in a theoretical way is not enough if it doesn’t translate into real acts of kindness. A faith that stays in the mind and never comes out to wash the feet of the poor and needy is a fake and lifeless faith.
4. In the first reading, St. Paul talks about how great St. John the Baptist was as an example of this kind of simple service. In the midst of his greatest fame, when crowds were ready to call him the Messiah, John had the deep spiritual clarity to say, “I am not he.” He was fully aware of how small and insignificant his part was in the big scheme of rescue.
5. John the Baptist didn’t think he was good enough to even take off the Savior’s shoes. This is so different from how spiritually proud we are of ourselves! We are always trying to take God’s glory by taking credit for our services, efforts, and spiritual victories. We don’t realise how deeply unworthy we are, and we think that we are the main builders of grace when we are really just the Lord’s tools.
6. Jesus says that anyone who accepts His real message will also accept Him. We have been asked to be those clear communicators. On the other hand, we can only truly share the presence of the Risen Lord when we let go of all our egos. The less room we give our pride, the more room we make for His sanctifying grace to work in the world.
My Practice: Let us give up the harmful virus of spiritual pride totally. Today, look for a chance to do a secret act of service that no one will notice. Take pleasure in the fact that the Master sees your humble duty.
