Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 13:14, 43-52 (JB)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

We are now turning to the gentiles.

Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to the synagogue on the sabbath and took their seats.

When the meeting broke up, many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God has given them.

The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:

I have made you a light for the nations,

so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Acts 13:14, 43-52 (NRSV)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Paul and Barnabas went on from Perga

and came to Antioch in Pisidia.

On the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

When the meeting of the synagogue broke up,

many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas,

who spoke to them and urged them

to continue in the grace of God.

The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered

to hear the word of the Lord.

But when the Jewish officials saw the crowds,

they were filled with jealousy;

and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.

Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying,

“It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you.

Since you reject it

and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life,

we are now turning to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,

so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”‘

When the Gentiles heard this,

they were glad and praised the word of the Lord;

and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers.

Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region.

But the officials incited the devout women of high standing

and the leading men of the city,

and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas,

and drove them out of their region.

So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them,

and went to Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 99:1-3, 5 (JB)

R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

 or

R. Alleluia.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy. R.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.

He made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the sheep of his flock. R.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

eternal his merciful love.

He is faithful from age to age. R.

Revelation 7:9, 14-17 (JB)

A reading from the book of the Apocalypse

The Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water.

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said to me, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Revelation 7:9, 14-17 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Revelation

After this I, John, looked,

and there was a great multitude that no one could count,

from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,

standing before the throne and before the Lamb,

robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.

And one of the elders then said to me,

“These are they who have come out of the great ordeal;

they have washed their robes

and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“For this reason they are before the throne of God,

and worship him day and night within his temple,

and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

“They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;

the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;

for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

John 10:14 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Alleluia!

John 10:14 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my sheep, and mine know me.

Alleluia!

John 10:27-30 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

I give my sheep eternal life.

Jesus said:

‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:27-30 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

Jesus said:

“My sheep hear my voice.

I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

No one will snatch them out of my hand.

what my Father has given me is greater than all else,

and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.

The Father and I are one.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.