THE
READINGS
April 10, 2016
FIRST READING: Acts 9:1-20
1Meanwhile Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the
high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at
Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he
might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going along and
approaching Damascus,
suddenly
a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5He
asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be
told what you are to do." 7The men who were traveling with him
stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul
got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so
they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three
days he was without sight, and
neither
ate nor drank.
10Now there was a
disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,
"Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11The
Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the
house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay
his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13But
Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much
evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has
authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15But
the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an
instrument
whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and
before
the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must
suffer for the sake of my name." 17So Ananias went and entered
the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord
Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain
your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18And
immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was
restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some
food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the
disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus
in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
2
3
PSALM: Psalm 30 - please read responsively
1I will exalt you, O
LORD, because you have lifted me up
and have not let my enemies triumph
over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried
out to you, and you restored me to health.
3You brought me up, O
LORD, from the dead;
you restored my life as I was going
down to the grave.
4Sing praise to the
LORD, all you faithful; give thanks in holy remembrance.
5God's wrath is short;
God's favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping spends the night, but joy
comes in the morning.
6While I felt secure, I
said, "I shall never be disturbed.
7You, LORD, with your
favor, made me as strong as the mountains."
Then you hid your face, and I was
filled with fear.
8I cried to you, O LORD;
I pleaded with my Lord, saying,
9"What profit is
there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you or declare
your faithfulness?
10Hear, O LORD, and have
mercy upon me; O LORD, be my helper."
11You have turned my
wailing into dancing;
you have put off my sackcloth and
clothed me with joy.
12Therefore my heart
sings to you without ceasing;
SECOND READING: Revelation 5:11-14
11Then I looked, and I
heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures
and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12singing
with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to
receive
power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
13Then I heard every
creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all
that is in them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be
blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14And the four living creatures
said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.
1
4
Stand
P: The holy gospel according to St. John, the
21st chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
GOSPEL: John
21:1-19
1After [he appeared to
his followers in Jerusalem,] Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the
Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered
there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in
Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon
Peter said to them, "I am
going
fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out
and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Just after daybreak,
Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus
said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered
him, "No." 6He said to them, "Cast the net to the
right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now
they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That
disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon
Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was
naked,
and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat,
dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about
a hundred yards off.
9When they had gone
ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus
said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11So
Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a
hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not
torn. 12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now
none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they
knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to
them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time
that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15When they had finished
breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me
more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love
you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16A second
time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to
him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him,
"Tend my sheep." 17He said to him the third time,
"Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said
to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him,
"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to
him, "Feed my sheep. 18Very truly, I tell you, when you were
younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But
when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will
fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19(He
said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After
this he said to him, "Follow me."
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.