Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection May 19, 2026

19th May 2026 (Tuesday)

Psalter: Week 3

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Acts 20:17-27

In those days: From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21 R. (33a)

R/. You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, sing to God. Or: Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you for ever.

R/. Alleluia

Gospel: John 17:1-11a

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Tuesday – 7th Week of Easter

Main Point: Many Christians and preachers get self-glory and God’s glory mixed up, but there is a small difference between the two. In the first, the attention is on self, while in the second, it’s on God.

1. A lot of the time, “glorifying God” just means saying nice things about him or doing miracles and healings. This is a very sneaky way to promote yourself. It’s possible to use even God’s most impressive gifts, like the clarity of teaching or the power of wonders, to get your attention and recognise yourself.

2. The first reading and the story, on the other hand, are about Paul and Jesus himself. They have no desire for self-glory or self-seeking at all. For we are shown the real and proper way to praise God.

3. It means “accomplishing the work that God has entrusted” . It’s the coming together of depth and closeness. That’s how strong belief and desire, courage and persistence, loyalty and commitment can help you reach your goal. “Does not shrink from bearing witness” is the purpose.

4. Paul shares the same purpose and spirit as his Master. Because of this, he says, “I do not think my life is valuable or important to myself.” It’s worth it “if only I finish my course and the ministry that the Lord Jesus gave me.”

5. He could say with confidence, “I did not back down from this duty”; “to declare to all the whole counsel of God”; and “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Even though he knew that “imprisonment and hardships await him,” he did not let this bother him.

6. Every follower of the Lord should stay rooted and united with God and honour God by doing God’s works. As the Lord prays, we should fully belong to him and not the world. We live in the world but are not of it. We should be one with each other, just like Jesus was one with the Father. We should honour the Lord, just like Jesus always honoured the Father.

My Practice: When you give evidence, you shouldn’t talk about how great the things you’ve done are, even if you mention God’s power. Instead, you should praise God’s will and plans, even when you know you’re not good enough.