Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection May 14, 2026
Thursday – 6th Week of Easter
14th May 2026 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 2
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about one hundred twenty), and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and ‘Let another take his office.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (R. See 8)
R/. The Lord set them with the princes of his people. or: Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. I chose you from the world that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, says the Lord.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: John 15:9-17
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandment and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have 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 abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Thursday – 6th Week of Easter
Main Point: Vocation is never a matter of personal merit or human calculation; it is a sheer gift of divine predilection that demands a life of authentic, fruit-bearing friendship with the Lord.
1. In the Gospel today, Jesus makes a profound and humbling declaration: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.” Our faith, our discipleship, and our specific vocations are never our own private achievements. They are unmerited gifts initiated entirely by the sovereign grace of God.
2. The secular world operates on a system of aggressive self-promotion and relentless competition. We constantly try to prove our worth, desperately striving to be chosen for promotions, accolades, or exclusive social circles. But in the spiritual realm, God’s choice completely bypasses our arrogant human resumes. He does not look at our worldly credentials; He looks directly at the docility of our hearts.
3. This divine logic is perfectly illustrated in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Following the tragic defection and death of Judas, the early Church recognizes the urgent need to restore the apostolic foundation. They propose two highly qualified candidates: Joseph, called Barsabbas, and Matthias. Both men were faithful, steadfast companions of the Lord from the very beginning of His ministry.
4. However, the apostles do not rely on a democratic vote, political lobbying, or worldly popularity to make their decision. They surrender the outcome entirely to the Lord in prayer: “Lord, you know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen.” The lot falls to Matthias. He is not chosen because he is inherently superior or more intelligent than Joseph, but simply because he fits the specific contours of God’s eternal design.
5. But we must ask: why are we chosen? Jesus provides the absolute answer: “to go and bear fruit that will remain.” We are not selected by God so that we can sit comfortably in an exclusive religious club, basking in a false sense of spiritual superiority. We are chosen and commissioned to step into the messy, broken reality of the world and actively radiate the transformative love of Christ.
6. Furthermore, the Lord elevates our human dignity to an unimaginable height. He explicitly states that He no longer calls us slaves, but friends. A slave obeys out of blind fear and cold obligation, but a friend obeys out of profound, reciprocal love. To be a friend of the Creator of the universe is the ultimate privilege.
7. Yet, this magnificent friendship comes with an uncompromising mandate: “Love one another.” If we loudly claim to be friends of God while quietly harboring bitter resentments, entertaining petty jealousies, or refusing to serve our neighbors, our discipleship is a complete sham. True communion with the Master always necessitates authentic, selfless compassion for His flock.
My Practice: Let us completely abandon the exhausting pursuit of proving our worldly worth and seeking the applause of men. Instead, let us rejoice in the sheer grace of being chosen by the Lord, proving our divine friendship through absolute obedience to His commandments and a relentless, joyful charity toward one another.
