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: 1b – 2, 3 – 4, 5 – 6, 7 – 8 (R.) 8

R/. The Lord made them sit with the princes of his people.
Or: 
Alleluia.

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.

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.
 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
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.”
JOHN 15: 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.
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Bearing Fruit for the Kingdom
Tuesday, May 14, 2024

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.” (John 15:16)

After Judas betrayed our Lord, the Apostles gathered together to pick someone to succeed him. They decided it should be someone who had been with them from the beginning. They prayed for guidance and cast lots “and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles” (Acts 1:26).

Little is known about the ministry of Saint Matthias. Being chosen as one of the Twelve makes him a bishop of the early Church. Various traditions state that he preached in the territory of either modern-day Ethiopia, Turkey or Georgia—perhaps all of these territories. He is thought to have been killed for his faith, either by stoning or by beheading or both, which is why he is today honored as a martyr.

As we honor Saint Matthias, we honor more than just a man who became an Apostle and preached the Gospel with His life, we also honor the divine plan by which God has chosen to use weak and humble instruments to further His Kingdom. The Gospel passage above certainly applies to Saint Matthias, as well as to all of us to one extent or another. It was God who “chose” Saint Matthias, as well as each and every one of us, for the purpose of going forth to “bear fruit that will remain.” But this form of good fruit, the fruit that has eternal consequences, can only be produced when we ask for it from the Father in the name of His Son Jesus.

Asking the Father to produce good fruit through us in the name of Jesus His Son does not mean that we get to choose what we ask of the Father. Rather, asking “in Jesus’ name” must be understood to mean that we ask the Father only what the Son has asked. We choose to share in the one eternal prayer of the Son that the will of the Father be fulfilled. And in praying this way, we commit ourselves to unity with His holy will.

Sometimes we can all find ourselves asking God for this favor or that. We can place before Him our preference and our will. But if we want to be used by God, to become an instrument of His grace so as to bear an abundance of good fruit, then we must humbly set aside our own will and allow God to be the one Who chooses our mission and appoints us to His holy task. Detachment from our own will and humble submission to the will of God is the only way to bring forth God’s Kingdom.

Reflect, today, upon God’s choice to call you to share in His divine mission. How He calls is up to God, but you can be certain that He does call you and invites you to share in His mission. Be open to any way that God appoints you to bear good fruit and humbly seek to conform your will to the Father’s plan as you pray in Jesus’ holy name.

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You have perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father in all things, and You have chosen me and appointed me to share in Your divine mission. Help me to open my mind and will to all that You call me to do, so that I, too, may be an instrument of the Kingdom of Your Father in Heaven. I make this prayer in Your most holy name. Jesus, I trust in You.

Chipiri 14 Chivabvu – May;

Zuvaguru raMatiasi, Mupositori

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Mabasa 1,15-17.20-26

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku raMabasa avaPositori
15 Pita akasimuka pakati pevehama akataura.
Gungano iroro raiva zana namakumi maviri avanhu. Akati,
16 “Hama, Magwaro Matsvene aifanira kuzadziswa
akafanotaurwa naMweya Mutsvene nomuromo
waDhavhidhi nezvaJudhasi, aiva mutungamiri waavo vakandosunga Jesu. 17Akanga ari mumwe
wedu akapiwa mugove wake mubasa iri. 20 Zvakanyorwa mubhuku reNziyo kuti,
‘Musha wake ngauve dongo, usawane anogaramo. Basa rake routariri, ngaritorwe nomumwe.’
21Saizvozvo mumwe wavarume vaiva nesu, nguva
yose, Tenzi Jesu paakanga achiri nesu kutangira
paruombeko rwaJohani kusvika pazuva raakatorwa
akakwidzwa kudenga, 22mumwe wavarume ivava
anofanira kuva chapupu chokumuka kwake.”
23 Naizvozvo vakaisapo vaviri vaiti Josefi anonzi
Bhasabhasi, ainziwo Jusitusi, naMatiasi. 24Vakanamata vachiti,
“Tenzi, muzivi wemwoyo yavanhu vose,
tiratidzei pavaviri ava kuti ndiani
wamunosarudza
25 kuti atore nzvimbo yapabasa iri noupositori
uhu hwakasiiwa naJudhasi, achienda
kunzvimbo yake.”
26 Vakavaitira chin’ange, chikabata pana Matiasi
ndokubva ava mumwe wavapositori vaya, gumi
nomumwechete.
Shoko raMwari.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 113,1-8. (D – 8)

(D) – TENZI achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake.
Imi varanda vaTENZI rumbidzai,
rumbidzai zita raTENZI.
2Zita raTENZI ngarirumbidzwe,
kubvira zvino kusvikira nokusingaperi.
(D) – TENZI achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake.
3Kubvira pakubuda kwezuva kusvika pakudoka
kwaro, zita raTENZI ngarirumbidzwe.
4TENZI ari pamusoro pamarudzi ose,
mbiri yake inorumbidzwa kumusoro
kwamatenga.
(D) – TENZI achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake.
5Ndiani akaita saTENZI Mwari wedu,
kumusoro ndokwaagere?
6Anotoita zvokukotamira pasi
kuti aone matenga napasi.
(D) – TENZI achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake.
7Anobvisa varombo muhuruva,
achisimudza vasina chavanacho kubva
mudota
8 achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake.
(D) – TENZI achivagarisa namachinda,
namachinda avanhu vake

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 15,16

Areruya, Areruya Tenzi anoti, “Ini ndini
ndakakusarudzai, ndikakupai basa rokuti
muende mundobereka muchero, uye kuti
muchero wenyu uve unogara.” Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 15,9-17

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
Jesu akati kuvadzidzi vake:
9 “Sokundida kwakaita Baba, ndokukudaiwo
kwandakaita. Rambai muri murudo rwangu.
10Kana mukachengeta mitemo yangu,
mucharamba muri murudo neni,
sokuchengetawo kwandakaita mitemo yaBaba
vangu, ndinoramba ndiri murudo navo.
11 Ndataura izvi kwamuri kuti rufaro rwangu
ruve mamuri, uyewo kuti rufaro rwenyu ruzare.
12Uyu ndiwo mutemo wangu wokuti: Dananai
sokukudai kwandakaita.
13 Hakuna rudo runopfuura urwu,
rwokuti munhu anofira shamwari dzake.
14Muri shamwari dzangu kana muchiita
zvandinokuudzai.
15 Handicharamba ndichikutii varanda,
nokuti muranda haazivi zvinoitwa natenzi
wake, asi ndava kukutii shamwari nokuti ndakakuzivisai zvose zvandakanzwa kuna
Baba vangu.
16 Hamuna kundisarudza,
asi ini ndini ndakatokusarudzai,
ndikakupai basa rokuti muende mundobereka
muchero, uye kuti muchero wenyu uve
unogara kuti chipi nechipi
chamunokumbira Baba muzita rangu vakupei.
17Mutemo wandinokutemerai ndouyu wokuti,
idanai.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
[21:07, 5/13/2024] TAKAONA: TUESDAY, MAY 14TH 2024.

SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER YEAR B.

FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIAS, Apostle.

FIRST READING
“The lot fell on Matthias, and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.”