Book of Common Prayer - 1979
Sunday, April-07-2013
Second Sunday of Easter

The Collect

Second Sunday of Easter
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 Christ's 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
Preface of Easter

Old Testament Reading

Acts 5:12,17-22,25-29
¹² Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. ¹⁷ But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy ¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹ But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, ²⁰ "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." ²¹ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught. Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²² But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported, ²⁵ And some one came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." ²⁶ Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. ²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. - OR -

Job 42:1-6
¹ Then Job answered the LORD: ² "I know that thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted. ³ 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ⁴ Hear, and I will speak; 'I will question you, and you declare to me.' ⁵ I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee; ⁶ therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Psalm

Psalm 111

Confitebor tibi
1Hallelujah!
     I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, *
     in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
2Great are the deeds of the LORD! *
     they are studied by all who delight in them.
3His work is full of majesty and splendor, *
     and his righteousness endures for ever.
4He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *
     the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5He gives food to those who fear him; *
     he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6He has shown his people the power of his works *
     in giving them the lands of the nations.
7The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *

     all his commandments are sure.
8They stand fast for ever and ever, *
     because they are done in truth and equity.
9He sent redemption to his people;
     he commanded his covenant for ever; *
     holy and awesome is his Name.
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *
     those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
     his praise endures for ever.

- OR -

Psalm 118:19-24

19Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
     I will enter them;
     I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20"This is the gate of the LORD; *
     he who is righteous may enter."
21I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
     and have become my salvation.
22The same stone which the builders rejected *
     has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the LORD'S doing, *
     and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24On this day the LORD has acted; *
     we will rejoice and be glad in it.

New Testament Reading

Revelation 1:1-19
¹ The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. ³ Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near. ⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ⁸ "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. ⁹ I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Per'gamum and to Thyati'ra and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to La-odice'a." ¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; ¹⁴ his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, ¹⁵ his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; ¹⁶ in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. ¹⁹ Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter. - OR -

Acts 5:12,17-22,25-29
¹² Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. ¹⁷ But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy ¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹ But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said, ²⁰ "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." ²¹ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught. Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²² But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported, ²⁵ And some one came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." ²⁶ Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. ²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

Gospel Reading

John 20:19-31
¹⁹ 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." ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." ²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." ²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ 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." ²⁶ 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." ²⁷ 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." ²⁸ Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ 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.