Entrance Antiphon Jn 15:16
It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last (E.T. alleluia).
Collect
O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord. . .
FIRST READING
“The lot fell on Matthias, and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1: 15-17, 20-26)
In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said, “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was 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, ‘Let his habitation become desolate and let there be no one to live in it’; and ‘His office let another take.’ 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 surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, 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 enrolled with the eleven apostles.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 113:lb-2.3-4.5-6.7-8
R/. The Lord made them sit with the princes of his people.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blest
both now and for evermore! R.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
praised be the name of the LORD!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory. R.
R/. The Lord made them sit with the princes of his people.
who is like the Lord, our God,
who dwells on high
who lowers himself to look down
upon heaven and earth? R.
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the ash heap he raises the poor,
to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people. R.
ALLELUIA John 15:16
Alleluia. I chose you from the world that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall abide, says the Lord. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John l5:9-17)
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 commandments 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 man than this, that a man 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. This I command you, to love one another.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Today’s Reflection
Every good position is a choice of God. It is a call and choice of God. He chooses one person for one thing and another for something else. He picks one from the dust and sets him in the company of princes. He gives hope to the hopeless. The Psalmist tells us that “He [God] raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people” (Psalm 113:7-8). He picked Matthias from the crowd and made him an apostle when the apostles prayed. Let us thank God for making us friends. Let us make more friends for Jesus.