Mass Readings & Reflection for Wednesday April 29th 2026

First Reading: (Acts 12:24–13:5)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 67:2–3, 5, 6, 8)

Response: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Alleluia: (John 8:12)

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

Gospel: (John 12:44–50)

Reflection:

In these readings today, especially in the Gospel, Jesus makes something very clear, we are not dealing with a God who is eager to condemn. On the contrary, He says plainly: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” That is His mission. That is His desire. Salvation, not condemnation. I always wonder, about the people who never had the opportunity to hear the Word of God.

And yet, there is a tension.

Because the same Word that saves can also judge.

Not because God changes, but because our response changes everything.

We are given light, yet we can choose darkness.
We are given truth, yet we can ignore it.
We are given the Word, yet we can refuse to live by it.

So judgment is not something imposed on us from the outside like a sudden sentence. It is something that begins to take shape within our daily choices. Every action, every decision, every response to God’s Word is quietly forming a direction, either toward life or away from it.

That is why it is not accurate to place the blame on God. If we walk away from the light, it is not because the light failed, it is because we chose not to remain in it.

This is what Jesus means when He says that the Word itself will judge on the last day. The standard has already been given. The question is not whether God has spoken, but whether we are listening, and more importantly, whether we are living what we hear.

So the real examination becomes personal:

• Are we aligning our lives with what God asks of us?

• Are we living intentionally, or drifting carelessly?

• Are our actions leading us toward the light, or quietly keeping us in the dark?

This is not meant to instill fear, but responsibility.

Because the same truth also brings hope:
If our choices shape our path, then we are not powerless.

We can choose differently.
We can return to the light.
We can allow the Word not only to instruct us, but to transform us.

So today, we pray not just for understanding, but for alignment:
that our actions may reflect God’s Word,
that our choices may lead us toward life,
and that when the time comes, our lives themselves may testify, not against us, but for us.

Amen

God bless you