April 28, 2019

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32

Peter has been arrested for proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. His response to the charges of the high priest summarizes the early church’s proclamation of forgiveness of sin through repentance.

²⁷When they had brought [the apostles,] they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, “We

gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Psalm: Psalm 118:14-29

You are my God, and I will exalt you. (Ps. 118:28)

¹⁴The Lord is my strength | and my song,
and has become | my salvation.
¹⁵Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents | of the righteous:
“The right hand of the | Lord acts valiantly!
¹⁶The right hand of the Lord| is exalted!
The right hand of the | Lord acts valiantly!”
¹⁷I shall not | die, but live,
and declare the works | of the Lord. R
¹⁸The Lord indeed pun- | ished me sorely,
but did not hand me o- | ver to death.
¹⁹Open for me the | gates of righteousness;
I will enter them and give thanks | to the Lord.
²⁰“This is the gate | of the Lord;
here the righ- | teous may enter.”
²¹I give thanks to you, for you have | answered me
and you have become | my salvation. R
²²The stone that the build- | ers rejected
has become the chief | cornerstone.
²³By the Lord has | this been done;
it is marvelous | in our eyes.
²⁴This is the day that the | Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be | glad in it.
²⁵Hosanna! | O Lord, save us!
We pray to you, Lord, pros- | per our days! R
²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name | of the Lord;
we bless you from the house | of the Lord.
²⁷The Lord is God and has giv- | en us light.
Form a procession with branches up to the corners | of the altar.
²⁸You are my God, and | I will thank you;
you are my God, and I | will exalt you.
²⁹Give thanks to the Lord, for the | Lord is good;
God’s mercy en- | dures forever. R

Psalm (alternate): Psalm 150

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Ps. 150:6)

Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

The book of Revelation recounts a mystical vision of the risen Christ, experienced by a Christian prophet named John. Here he describes Christ as a timeless redeemer, the beginning, present, and end of all time.

⁴John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
⁷Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

The unprecedented events of the day of resurrection continue as the risen Jesus appears to his fearful disciples. A week later, after Thomas worships Jesus, Jesus pronounces that the blessings of the resurrection are also for those who “have not seen and yet believe.”

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

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