[Propertalk] READINGS for the THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, April 22, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All 
readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the 
Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries 
are identical to the RCL for this day.

Throughout the Easter Season, if the OT alternative is used for the C of E, 
the Acts reading should be used for the second reading.



FIRST READING:  Acts 3: 12 - 19   (RCL)
                                 Acts 3: 13 - 15, 17 - 19   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 3:12 (NRSV) When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You 
Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though 
by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 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. 14 But you rejected the Holy 
and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you 
killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are 
witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man 
strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given 
him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your 
rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the 
prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to 
God so that your sins may be wiped out,


Zephaniah 3: 14 - 20   (alt. for C of E)

Zeph 3:14 (NRSV) {A Song of Joy} Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the LORD.


PSALM 4   (RCL)
Psalm 4: 1, 3, 6 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 4:1 (NRSV) Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
You gave me room when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?
3 But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin;
ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!"
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.

Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic Bibles is one greater than the 
above.


4   Cum invocarem     (ECUSA BCP)

1   Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
  you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
  have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2  “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
  how long will you worship dumb idols
  and run after false gods?”

3   Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *
  when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4  Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
  speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5   Offer the appointed sacrifices *
  and put your trust in the Lord.

6   Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
  Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7   You have put gladness in my heart, *
  more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8   I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
  for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.


SECOND READING:   1 John 3: 1 - 7   (RCL)

1Joh 3:1 (NRSV) See what love the Father has given us, that we should be 
called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does 
not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children 
now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: 
when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 
And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 
You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 
6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or 
known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what 
is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.


1 John 2: 1 - 5a   (Roman Catholic)

1Joh 2:1 (NRSV) 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; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for 
our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. 
4 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; 5 
but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached 
perfection.


GOSPEL:   Luke 24: 36b - 48   (RCL)
                    Luke 24: 35 - 48   (Roman Catholic)

Luke 24:35 (NRSV) Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he 
had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and 
said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 They were startled and terrified, and 
thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you 
frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 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." 40 And when he had said this, 
he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While in their joy they were 
disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here 
to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate 
in their presence.
44 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." 45 Then he opened their minds 
to understand the scriptures, 46 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, 47 
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name 
to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these 
things.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu