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Second Sunday of
Easter |
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Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established
the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into
the fellowship of Christs Body may show forth in their lives what they
profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth
and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen. |
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Lesson |
Acts 2:14a,22-32
Peter Addresses the Crowd
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed
them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to
you, and give ear to my words. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to
you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him
in your midst, as you yourselves know -- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and
foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was
not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, `I saw the Lord always before me, for he
is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh
will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see
corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of
gladness with thy presence.' "Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he
both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not
abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
or
Genesis 8:6-16; 9:8-16
The Flood Subsides
At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had
made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were
dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided
from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to
the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put
forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of
the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a
freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from
the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did
not return to him any more. In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of
the month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the
covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth
was dry. Then God said to Noah, "Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons'
wives with you.
The Covenant with Noah Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle,
and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be
cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to
destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me
and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future
generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant
between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living
creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to
destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the
everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that
is upon the earth." |
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Epistle |
1 Peter 1:3-9
A Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer
various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which
though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and
honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you
believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.
or
Acts 2:14a,22-32
Peter Addresses the Crowd
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed
them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to
you, and give ear to my words. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to
you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him
in your midst, as you yourselves know -- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and
foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was
not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, `I saw the Lord always before me, for he
is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh
will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see
corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of
gladness with thy presence.' "Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he
both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not
abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. |
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Gospel |
John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being
shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood
among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me,
even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the
sins of any, they are retained."
Jesus and Thomas
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when
Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to
them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger
in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not
believe." Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was
with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and
said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put
out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet believe."
The Purpose of this Book Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which
are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. |
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