5th Sunday of Easter

Date: April 28, 2013

First Reading (Acts 14: 21-27)
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
After Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and on to Antioch. They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, for they stated, “We must go through many trials to enter the Kingdom of God.” In each church they appointed elders and, after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had placed their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. They preached the Word in Perga and went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now completed. On their arrival they gathered the Church together and told them all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the non-Jews.

Second Reading (Revelation 21: 1-5a)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away and no longer was there any sea. I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city coming down from God, out of heaven, adorned as a bride prepared for her husband. A loud voice came from the throne, “Here is the dwelling of God among mortals: He will pitch his tent among them and they will be his people; he will be God-with-them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death or mourning, crying out or pain, for the world that was has passed away.” The One seated on the throne stated, “See, I make all things new.”

Gospel (John 13: 31-35)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
When Judas had gone out, Jesus stated, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon. My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but, as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come. Now I shall give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

4th Sunday of Easter

Date: April 21, 2013

First Reading (Acts 13: 14 and 43-52)
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Paul and Barnabas continued from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down. Many Jews and devout God-fearing people followed them and to these they spoke, urging them to hold fast to the grace of God. The following Sabbath almost the entire city gathered to listen to Paul, who spoke a fairly long time about the Lord. But the presence of such a crowd made the Jews jealous. So they began to oppose with insults whatever Paul had stated. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out firmly, saying, "It was necessary that God's word be first proclaimed to you, but since you now reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we turn to non-Jewish people. For thus we were commanded by the Lord: I have set you as a light to the pagan nations, so that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Those who were not Jews rejoiced when they heard this and praised the message of the Lord, and all those destined for everlasting life believed in it. Thus the Word spread throughout the whole region. Some of the Jews, however, incited God-fearing women of the upper class and the leading men of the city, as well, and stirred up an intense persecution against Paul and Barnabas. Finally they had them expelled from their region. The apostles shook the dust from their feet in protest against this people and went to Iconium, leaving the disciples filled with joy and Holy Spirit.

Second Reading (Revelation 7: 9 and 14b-17)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
I, John, saw a great crowd, impossible to count, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lab, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands. The elder replied, "They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb. This is why they stand before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his sanctuary. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they suffer hunger or thirst or be burned by the sun or any scorching wind. For the Lamb near the throne will be their Shepherd, and he will bring them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away their tears."

Gospel (John 10: 27-30)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus states to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them; they follow me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish and nobody will ever steal them from me. What the Father has given me is stronger than everything and no one can snatch it from the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

3rd Sunday of Easter

Date: April 14, 2013

First Reading (Acts 5: 27-32 and 40-41)
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
So the captain and the court officers brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Council and the High Priest questioned them, "We gave you strict orders not to preach such a Savior; but you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend charging us with the killing of this man." To this Peter and the apostles replied, "Better for us to obey God rather than any human authority! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a wooden post. God set him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses to all these things, as well as the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." The Council called in the apostles and had them whipped, and order them not to speak again of Jesus the Savior. Then they set them free. The apostles went out from the Council rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name.

Second Reading (Revelation 5: 11-14)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
I, John, went on looking; I heard that noise of a multitude of angels gathered around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, numbering millions of millions, crying out with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor, glory and praise." Then I heard the voice of the whole universe, heaven, earth, sea, and the place of the dead; every creature cried out: "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory and power forever and ever." And the four living creatures stated, "Amen." The elders bowed down and worshiped.

Gospel (John 21: 1-19)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
After that time, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Lake of Tiberias. He appeared to them in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas who was called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together; and Simon Peter stated to them, "I am going fishing." The others replied, "We will come with you." They went out and climbed into the boat. However, they caught nothing that night. When day had already broken, Jesus was standing on the shore. However, the disciples did not realize that the person standing there was actually Jesus. Jesus called them, "Children, have you acquired anything to eat?" They answered, "Nothing." Then Jesus stated to them, "Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the huge amount of fish. Then the disciple Jesus loved stated to Peter, "It is the Lord!" At these words, Simon Peter put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish; they were not far from land, it was approximately one hundred meters. When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus stated to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to share. It was full of big fish — one hundred and fifty-three — however, in spite of this, the net was not torn. Jesus proposed to them, "Come and have breakfast." Not even one of the disciples dared to ask Jesus, "Who are you?" for they knew it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it them, and he did the same with the fish. This was the third Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after his resurrection. After they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." And Jesus stated, "Feed my lambs." Jesus asked Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus replied back, "Look after my sheep." Jesus once again asked Simon Peter for a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was saddened because Jesus had asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he replied, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus then stated, "Feed my sheep. Truly, I say to you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go." Jesus had spoken this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And he added, "Follow me."

2nd Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy)

Date: April 7, 2013

First Reading (Acts 5: 12–16)
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Many miraculous signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the apostles. The believers, of one accord, used to meet in Solomon's Porch. None of the others dare to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. So an ever-increasing number of men and women, believed in the Lord. The people carried the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and on mats, so that when Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

Second Reading (Revelation 1: 9–13 and 17–19)
A reading from the book of Revelation.
I, John, your brother, who share with you, in Jesus, the sufferings, the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island of Patmos, because of the Word of God and witnessing to Jesus. On the Lord's day, the Spirit took possession of me and I heard a voice behind me which sounded like a trumpet, "Write down all that you see, in a book, and send it to the seven Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." I turned to see who was speaking to me; behind me were seven golden lampstands and, in the middle of these, I saw someone like a son of man, dressed in a long robe tied with a golden girdle. Seeing him, I fell at his feet like one dead but he touched me with his right hand and stated, "Do not be afraid. It is I, the First and the Last. I am the living one; I was dead and now I am alive for ever and ever; and mine are the keys of death and the netherworld. Now write what you have seen, both what is and what is yet to come."

Gospel (John 20: 19–31)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in their midst. He stated to them, "Peace be with you.” then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were filled with joy. Again Jesus stated to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." After stating this he breathed on them and stated to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained. Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas replied, "Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and stated, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus stated to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer." Thomas then stated, "You are my Lord and my God." Jesus replied, "You believe because you see me, do you not? Happy are those who have not seen and believe." There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of his disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; believe and you will have life through his Name.