First Reading (Acts 6:1-7). We hear of the growth of the first Christian community, and how they addressed in a peaceful and just manner the problems that inevitably arose. Second Reading (1 Peter 2:4-9). This describes the responsibility and special dignity of the members of the Christian community. Gospel (John 14:1-12). At the Last Supper, Jesus consoles his close disciples who are distressed over his words that he is going away. Jesus often spoke of the kingdom of heaven, and at the Last Supper he promises his disciples that he goes to prepare a place for them. The poet Patrick Kavanagh wrote: “Only those who fly home to God have really flown at all.”

A poem to carry.