Immaculate Conception Parish Luanshya

CATHOLIC READINGS FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 29TH 2026

WEDNESDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER (YEAR A)



SAINT (S) OF THE DAY: ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA



ENTRANCE ANTIPHON CF PS 18:50; 22:23

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will tell of your name to my kin, alleluia.

COLLECT

O God, life of the faithful, glory of the humble, blessedness of the just, listen kindly to the prayers of those who call on you, that they who thirst for what you generously promise, may always have their fill of your plenty. Through our Lord...

FIRST READING

“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul,”

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:24-13:5a)

In those days: The word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark.

Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers,

Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

*The word of the Lord...*

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

PSALM 67:2-3.5.6 and 8 (R. 4)

R/. Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you!
Or: Alleluia.

O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your salvation. R/.

Let the nations be glad and shout for joy,
with uprightness you rule the peoples;
you guide the nations on earth. R/.

Let the peoples praise you,
O God; let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
that all the ends of the earth may revere him. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION...

ALLELUIA JOHN 8:12

Alleluia. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; he who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

“I have come as light into the world.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 12:44-50)

At that time: Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me.

I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.

For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life.

What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me.”

*The Gospel of the Lord...*

REFLECTION: BY CATHOLIC LIFE

Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness." John 12:44-46

Jesus does not make things complicated here. He points us straight to the Father and says, if we look at Him, we are already seeing God. Not a distant idea, not something hidden, but something right in front of us.

Sometimes we think we need more signs, more clarity, more certainty before we believe. But Jesus is saying the truth has already been shown. The way He speaks, the way He treats people, the way He gives Himself. That is who God is.

Light is not something we have to chase. It is something we step into. Yet we still hesitate. We hold on to old fears, old habits, or even pride. Not because we cannot see, but because letting go is hard.

Believing in Him is not just agreeing with words. It is choosing to trust that what we see in Him is enough. That His way is worth following, even when it stretches us.

And when we do, something shifts. We are no longer trying to figure everything out on our own. We begin to walk with a sense of direction, even if the path is still unfolding.
Where am I still hesitating to trust what Jesus has already shown me?

Lord, help me to see You more clearly in the way You have revealed Yourself. Teach me to trust what is already before me, and to step forward without holding back. Lead me out of what keeps me stuck, and guide me to walk in Your truth each day. Amen.


STILL ON REFLECTION:

In the first reading, we see how a believing community prays and engages in a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life and mission.

The community in Antioch hears God’s voice while listening together in prayer.

Among their leaders are Africans: Lucius of Cyrene and Simon called Niger (Black).

Guided by the Spirit, they send their best teachers on mission.

In the Gospel, Jesus too declares that his entire mission by word and deed comes not from Himself but from His listening to, and responding faithfully to God.

This is a lesson for us today, who tend to celebrate ourselves and each other for our diverse “achievements”.


SAINT (S) OF THE DAY: ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA


She was born on March 25, 1347 in Siena, Italy. Her parents were Giacomo di Benincasa and Lapa Piagenti.

Her mother gave birth to twin daughters when she was 40 years old named Catherine and Giovanna.

Giovanna died early. It is reported that Catherine had her first vision of Jesus Christ when she was five years old, when Jesus smiled at her, blessed her and left her in ecstasy.

She vowed chastity when she was seven years old.

When her elder sister Bonaventura died at child birth, Catherine's parents wanted Catherine to marry the widower of her elder sister.

But she refused to do so and lived a secluded life of penance and constant prayer.

On seeing the position of Catherine, her parents gave up the idea of her marriage. She then joined as a tertiary of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, wearing black and white habit.

In about the year 1366 she experienced a mystical marriage with Jesus as per her biography written by Raymond of Capua. She also received stigmata in the year 1375 and received communion from Jesus himself.

But the stigmata were visible only on her death. She took care of poor and sick people in homes and hospitals.

When the popes were residing in Avignon instead of Rome due to the western schism, she personally met Pope Gregory-XI at Avignon and convinced him to return to Rome, which the Pope did in January 1377. She was illiterate and so she only dictated all his letters to religious people including the Pope.

She died on April 29, 1380 in Rome at 33 years of age.

When the people of Siena wanted to take her head to Siena from Rome, they smuggled her head in a bag praying always to Catherine herself, to escape detection by guards.

But the guards asked the person with the bag containing the head of Catherine to open the bag. But when the bag was opened, the bag was found to contain only rose petals and the guards could not see the head of Catherine.

After reaching Siena, when they opened the bag, Catherine's head was there. The head was inserted in a gilt bust of bronze and was taken around the city of Siena and the mother of Catherine walked behind the bust.

Catherine was canonized by Pope Pius-II in the year 1461. She was declared as the Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul-VI along with St. Teresa of Avila.

St. Catherine is the patron saint of Nurses and Fire-fighters. She is also invoked against fire, bodily ills, sexual temptation and sickness.

ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, PRAY FOR US

TODAY ROSARY: GLORIOUS MYSTERY

COLOUR:

WHITE



MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS HIS WORD IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD, AMEN.

HERE IS WISHING YOU A GREAT DAY MY DEAR BRETHREN.

ICP MEDIA TEAM