The Second Reading is always taken from the Acts of the Apostles, or from one of the letters written by Paul, Peter, James, John, Jude, and an anonymous author (Letter to the Hebrews), or from the Book of Revelation.
The Second Reading is often chosen without any connection to the First Reading or the Gospel. Its content helps us to understand what the first Christians believed, and how they translated the teaching of Jesus into everyday life.
At the end of the First and Second Reading, the people respond: Thanks be to God! We are grateful for God’s words that reproach us for our wrongful behavior, correct us, and train us how to live so as to make our way to heaven.
This is part of a series on how to worship at Holy Mass by Archbishop Jackels. The name comes from the "4 H's" of the 2nd Mission Priority: Enhancing the Sunday assembly for Holy Mass. This series was published between February and December of 2017.