April 2010 Readings
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Apr 1
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18 Apr 25
Maundy Thursday
First Lesson
Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to
be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell
the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this
month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for
each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb,
they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken
into account the number of people there are. You are to
determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each
person will eat. [The animals you choose must be year-old males
without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the
goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,
when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter
them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and
put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses
where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the
meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread
made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water,
but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not
leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you
must burn it.] This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak
tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff
in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. "On
that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every
firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on
all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign
for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I
will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I
strike Egypt. "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the
generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the
LORD--a lasting ordinance.
Psalm
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for
mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I
live.
How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the
LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his
people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of
your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of
the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his
people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O
Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.
Second Lesson
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you:
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and
when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my
body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In
the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is
the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in
remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Gospel
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the
time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them
the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served,
and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon,
to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things
under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning
to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing,
and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured
water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying
them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to
Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my
feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing,
but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall
never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash
you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter
replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash
his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not
every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and
that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had
finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned
to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he
asked them. "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so,
for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I
have set you an example that you should do as I have done for
you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his
master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do
them. "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in
him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son
in himself, and will glorify him at once. "My children, I will
be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just
as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you
cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Prayer of the Day
Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal,
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment: To love one another
as he had loved them. By your Holy Spirit write this commandment
in our hearts; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
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Good Friday
First Lesson
Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12
See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted
up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled
at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any
man and his form marred beyond human likeness--so will he
sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because
of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what
they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our
message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He
grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of
dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He
was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar
with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our
infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was
pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has
laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and
afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was
taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut
off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my
people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to
crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his
life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his
days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After
the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and
be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will
justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I
will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the
spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto
death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the
sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far
from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and
am not silent.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of
Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you
delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were
not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by
the people.
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver
him, since he delights in him."
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have
been my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one
to help.
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against
me.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to
the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my
clothing.
But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to
help me.
Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power
of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of
the wild oxen.
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I
will praise you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob,
honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the
afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has
listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will
praise him-- may your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go
down to the dust will kneel before him-- those who cannot keep
themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about
the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn--
for he has done it.
Second Lesson
Hebrews 10:16-25
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,
says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will
write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and
lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been
forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore,
brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us
through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a
great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with
a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our
bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the
hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us
consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good
deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the
more as you see the Day approaching.
Gospel
John 18:1 – 19:42
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples
and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an
olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas,
who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met
there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a
detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests
and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and
asked them, "Who is it you want?" "Jesus of Nazareth," they
replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the
traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am
he," they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them,
"Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of
Nazareth." "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you
are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so
that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not
lost one of those you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who had a
sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off
his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded
Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the
Father has given me?" Then the detachment of soldiers with its
commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound
him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of
Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who
had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for
the people. Simon Peter and another disciple were following
Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he
went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had
to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known
to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there
and brought Peter in. "You are not one of his disciples, are
you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied,
"I am not." It was cold, and the servants and officials stood
around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was
standing with them, warming himself. Meanwhile, the high priest
questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. "I have
spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in
synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I
said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me.
Surely they know what I said." When Jesus said this, one of the
officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you
answer the high priest?" he demanded. "If I said something
wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I
spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" Then Annas sent him,
still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. As Simon Peter stood
warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his
disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am
not." One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man
whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you
with him in the olive grove?" Again Peter denied it, and at that
moment a rooster began to crow. Then the Jews led Jesus from
Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was
early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did
not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the
Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges
are you bringing against this man?" "If he were not a criminal,"
they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." Pilate
said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.
This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the
kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. Pilate
then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?" "Is that your own idea," Jesus
asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" "Am I a Jew?"
Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who
handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" Jesus said,
"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would
fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is
from another place." "You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact,
for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens
to me." "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out
again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge
against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one
prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release
`the king of the Jews'?" They shouted back, "No, not him! Give
us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion. Then
Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted
together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed
him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying,
"Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. Once
more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing
him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge
against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns
and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" As
soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they
shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered,
"You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a
charge against him." The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and
according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the
Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,
and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he
asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to
speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power
either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You
would have no power over me if it were not given to you from
above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of
a greater sin." From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free,
but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no
friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes
Caesar." When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat
down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement
(which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of
Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your
king," Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, "Take him
away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify
your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but
Caesar," the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him
over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took
charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the
place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here
they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side
and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and
fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF
THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where
Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written
in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews
protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The King of the Jews,' but
that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered,
"What I have written, I have written." When the soldiers
crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four
shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.
This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to
bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's
decide by lot who will get it." This happened that
the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my
garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is
what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother,
his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple
whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear
woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your
mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his
home. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the
Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar
of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put
the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to
Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is
finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a
special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left
on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the
legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore
came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified
with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to
Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his
legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a
spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who
saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows
that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may
believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be
fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as
another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have
pierced." Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body
of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly
because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came
and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man
who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking
Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in
strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial
customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a
garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever
been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and
since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, we ask you to look with mercy on your family,
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to
be given over to the hands of sinners and to suffer death on the
cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
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The Resurrection of Our Lord
Easter Day
First Lesson
Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that
God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation
who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent
to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through
Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened
throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that
John preached--how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing
all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with
him. "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country
of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on
a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and
caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by
witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank
with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach
to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets
testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name."
Psalm
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures
forever.
Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has
done mighty things!"
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has
done.
The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over
to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give
thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may
enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my
salvation.
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in
it.
Second Lesson
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be
pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from
the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For
since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead
comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ
all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the
firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then
the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the
Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his
feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Gospel
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been
removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They
have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where
they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for
the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter
and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the
strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter,
who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the
strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that
had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself,
separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had
reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to
rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their
homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she
bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white,
seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other
at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know
where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw
Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking
for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir,
if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him,
and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She
turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which
means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have
not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and
tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with
the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had
said these things to her.
Prayer of the Day
O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross
for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you
delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to
sin, so that we may live with him forever in the joy of the
resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Second Sunday of Easter
First Lesson
Acts 5:27-32
Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the
Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. "We gave you
strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have
filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make
us guilty of this man's blood." Peter and the other apostles
replied: "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our
fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by
hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as
Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness
of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is
the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Psalm
Psalm 118:14-29
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my
salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has
done mighty things!"
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has
done.
The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over
to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give
thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may
enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my
salvation.
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in
it.
O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house
of the LORD we bless you.
The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With
boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of
the altar.
You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and
I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures
forever.
Second Lesson
Revelation 1:4-8
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is
to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn
from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and
Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Look,
he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will
mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. "I am the
Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty."
Gospel
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the
disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the
Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with
you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus
said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said,
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they
are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven." Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was
not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples
told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to
them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my
finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the
house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were
locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with
you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my
hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop
doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have
believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence
of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his
name.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, with joy we celebrate the festival of our
Lord’s resurrection. Graciously help us to show the power of the
resurrection in all that we say and do; through your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Third Sunday of Easter
First Lesson
Acts 9:1-6 [7-20]
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats
against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and
asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if
he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or
women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he
neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven
flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say
to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you,
Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and
you will be told what you must do." [The men traveling with Saul
stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see
anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes
he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called
to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he
answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on
Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he
is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and
place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias
answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the
harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come
here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who
call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man
is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and
their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how
much he must suffer for my name." Then Ananias went to the house
and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you
were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be
filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales
fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was
baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once
he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of
God.
Psalm
Psalm 30
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from
going down into the pit.
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a
lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in
the morning.
When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
"What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the
pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your
faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and
clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God,
I will give you thanks forever.
Second Lesson
Revelation 5:11-14
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering
thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.
They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the
elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was
slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and
honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all
that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to
the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and
ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders
fell down and worshiped.
Gospel
John 21:1-19
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea
of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas
(called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of
Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out
to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with
you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night
they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the
shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He
called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side
of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were
unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the
Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord,"
he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it
off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in
the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far
from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a
fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just
caught." Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore.
It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net
was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it
was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them,
and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time
Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the
dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of
John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes,
Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take
care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of
John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus
asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you
know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus
said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were
younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when
you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else
will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus
said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would
glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
Prayer of the Day
O God, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this
fallen world, rescuing us from the hopelessness of death. Grant
your faithful people a share in the joys that are eternal;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Fourth Sunday of Easter
First Lesson
Acts 9:36-43
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when
translated, is Dorcas ), who was always doing good and helping
the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body
was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa;
so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent
two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went
with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the
room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him
the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was
still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he
got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman,
he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing
Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her
feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented
her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many
people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time
with a tanner named Simon.
Psalm
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet
waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for
his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Second Lesson
Revelation 7:9-17
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in
their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation
belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the
elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their
faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise
and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders
asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did
they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he
said, "These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of
God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits
on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will
they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat
upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of
the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs
of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes."
Gospel
John 10:22-30
Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was
winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's
Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will
you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us
plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not
believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but
you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen
to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch
them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's
hand. I and the Father are one."
Prayer of the Day
God of all power, you called from death our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the sheep. Send us as shepherds to rescue the
lost, to heal the injured, and to feed one another with
knowledge and understanding; through your Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever.
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