Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 (JB)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

You have killed the prince of life; God, however, raised him from the dead.

Peter said to the people ‘You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate, after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses.

‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 (NRSV)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

At the temple gate, Peter addressed the people:

“The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,

the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus,

whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate,

though he had decided to release him.

“But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One

and asked to have a murderer given to you,

and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.

To this we are witnesses.

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance,

as did also your rulers.

In this way God fulfilled

what he had foretold through all the prophets,

that his Messiah would suffer.

“Repent therefore, and turn to God

so that your sins may be wiped out.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 4:2, 4, 7, 9 (JB)

R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

or

R. Alleluia.

When I call, answer me, O God of justice;

from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me! R.

It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;

the Lord hears me whenever I call him. R.

‘What can bring us happiness?’ many say.

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord. R.

I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once,

for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. R.

1 John 2:1-5 (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St John

Jesus Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and those of the whole world.

I am writing this, my children,

to stop you sinning;

but if anyone should sin,

we have our advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ, who is just;

he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,

and not only ours,

but the whole world’s.

We can be sure that we know God

only by keeping his commandments.

Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,

and does not keep his commandments,

is a liar,

refusing to admit the truth.

But when anyone does obey what he has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 John 2:1-5 (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of John

My little children,

I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

But if anyone does sin,

we have an advocate with the Father;

Jesus Christ the righteous;

and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,

and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now by this we may be sure that we know him,

if we obey his commandments.

Whoever says, “I have come to know him,”

but does not obey his commandments, is a liar,

and in such a person the truth does not exist;

but whoever obeys his word,

truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection.

By this we may be sure that we are in him.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

cf Luke 24:32 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, make your word plain to us:

make our hearts burn with love when you speak.

Alleluia!

cf Luke 24:32 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, make your word plain to us:

make our hearts burn with love when you speak.

Alleluia!

Luke 24:35-48 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

It was written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.

They were still talking about this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they could not believe it, and they stood dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:35-48 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

The two disciples told the eleven and their companions

what had happened on the road to Emmaus,

and how Jesus had been made known to them

in the breaking of the bread.

While they were talking about this,

Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

They were startled and terrified,

and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

He said to them,

“Why are you frightened,

and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

Look at my hands and my feet;

see that it is I myself.

Touch me and see;

for a ghost does not have flesh and bones

as you see that I have.”

And when he had said this,

he showed them his hands and his feet.

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering,

he said to them,

“Have you anything here to eat?”

They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them,

“These are my words that I spoke to you

while I was still with you-

that everything written about me in the law of Moses,

the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

and he said to them,

“Thus it is written,

that the Messiah is to suffer

and to rise from the dead on the third day,

and that repentance and forgiveness of sins

is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations,

beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.