Lectionary Readings
Book of Common Prayer - 1979
Sunday, April-12-2015
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
 

Old Testament Reading

Acts 3:12-15,17-26
¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁷ "And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. ²² Moses said, `The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. <sup>23</sup> And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' <sup>24</sup> And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. <sup>25</sup> You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, `And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' ²⁶ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness." - OR -
Isaiah 26:2-9,19
² Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in. ³ Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. ⁴ Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. ⁵ For he has brought low the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. ⁶ The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy." ⁷ The way of the righteous is level; thou dost make smooth the path of the righteous. ⁸ In the path of thy judgments, O LORD, we wait for thee; thy memorial name is the desire of our soul. ⁹ My soul yearns for thee in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks thee. For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. ¹⁹ Thy dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For thy dew is a dew of light, and on the land of the shades thou wilt let it fall.

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

1 John 5:1-6
¹ Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. - OR -
Acts 3:12-15,17-26
¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁷ "And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. ²² Moses said, `The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. <sup>23</sup> And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' <sup>24</sup> And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. <sup>25</sup> You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, `And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' ²⁶ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness."

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.