5th Sunday of Easter

26And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him aside and led him to the Apostles. And he explained to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how, in Damascus, he had acted faithfully in the name of Jesus. 28And he was with them, entering and departing Jerusalem, and acting faithfully in the name of the Lord. 29He also was speaking with the Gentiles and disputing with the Greeks. But they were seeking to kill him. 30And when the brothers had realized this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. 31Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

26My praise is with you, within a great church. I will pay my vows in the sight of those who fear him.

27The poor will eat and be satisfied, and those who yearn for the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will live forever and ever.

28All the ends of the earth will remember, and they will be converted to the Lord. And all the families of the Gentiles will adore in his sight.

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30All the fat of the earth have gnashed their teeth, and they have adored. In his sight, they will fall down, all those who descend to the ground.

31And my soul will live for him, and my offspring will serve him.

32There will be announced for the Lord a future generation, and the heavens will announce his justice to a people who will be born, whom the Lord has made.

18My little sons, let us not love in words only, but in works and in truth. 19In this way, we will know that we are of the truth, and we will commend our hearts in his sight. 20For even if our heart reproaches us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things. 21Most beloved, if our heart does not reproach us, we can have confidence toward God; 22and whatever we shall request of him, we shall receive from him. For we keep his commandments, and we do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24And those who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And we know that he abides in us by this: by the Spirit, whom he has given to us.

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away. And each one that does bear fruit, he will cleanse, so that it may bring forth more fruit. 3You are clean now, because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so also are you unable, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you are able to do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me, he will be cast away, like a branch, and he will wither, and they will gather him and cast him into the fire, and he burns. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, then you may ask for whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8In this, my Father is glorified: that you should bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples.