Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14, 36-41 (JB)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.

On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the eleven and addressed the crowd with a loud voice: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’

Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Acts 2:14, 36-41 (NRSV)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the days of Pentecost had come.

Peter, standing with the eleven,

raised his voice and addressed the crowd.

“Let the entire house of Israel know with certainty

that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,

this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart

and said to Peter and to the other apostles,

“Brothers, what should we do?”

Peter said to them,

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ

so that your sins may be forgiven;

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you, for your children,

and for all who are far away

everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”

And he testified with many other arguments

and exhorted them, saying,

“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

So those who welcomed his message were baptized,

and that day about three thousand persons

were added to their number.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 22:1-6 (JB)

R. The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

or

R. Alleluia.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit. R.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort. R.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing. R.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever. R.

1 Peter 2:20-25 (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St Peter

You had gone astray but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing punishment patiently when you are punished after doing your duty.

This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took. He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge. He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed. You had gone astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Peter 2:20-25 (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of Peter

Brothers and sisters:

If you endure when you do right and suffer for it,

you have God’s approval.

For to this you have been called,

because Christ also suffered for you,

leaving you an example,

so that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When he was abused, he did not return abuse;

when he suffered, he did not threaten;

but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,

so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness;

by his wounds you have been healed.

For you were going astray like sheep,

but now you have returned

to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

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 10:1-10 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

I am the gate of the sheepfold.

Jesus said: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.

So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

I am the gate of the sheepfold.

All others who have come

are thieves and brigands;

but the sheep took no notice of them.

I am the gate.

Anyone who enters through me will be safe:

he will go freely in and out

and be sure of finding pasture.

The thief comes

only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come

so that they may have life

and have it to the full.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:1-10 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“Very truly, I tell you,

anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate

but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,

and the sheep hear his voice.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own,

he goes ahead of them,

and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

They will not follow a stranger,

but they will run from him

because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Jesus used this figure of speech with them,

but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them,

“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and bandits;

but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the gate.

Whoever enters by me will be saved,

and will come in and go out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.