[Propertalk] READINGS for the SECOND SUNDAY of EASTER

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 
19, 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.



FIRST READING: Acts 2: 14a, 22 - 32   (RCL)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice 
and addressed them,

22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of 
Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and 
signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 
this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and 
foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those 
outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, 
because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David 
says concerning him,
"I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor 
David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this 
day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath 
to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 
Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
"He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.'
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.


Acts 2: 42 - 47   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 2:42 (NRSV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and 
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon 
everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the 
apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in 
common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute 
the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much 
time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food 
with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill 
of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those 
who were being saved.


Exodus 14: 10 - 31, 15: 20, 21   (alt. for C of E)

Exod 14:10 (NRSV) As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and 
there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites 
cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were 
no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? 
What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the 
very thing we told you in Egypt, "Let us alone and let us serve the 
Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians 
than to die in the wilderness." 13 But Moses said to the people, "Do not 
be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will 
accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall 
never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to 
keep still."
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the 
Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff, and stretch out 
your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into 
the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians 
so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself 
over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18 
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained 
glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers."
19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and 
went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them 
and took its place behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and 
the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it 
lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the 
sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry 
land; and the waters were divided. 22 The Israelites went into the sea 
on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on 
their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, 
all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24 At the 
morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon 
the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25 He clogged 
their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians 
said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for 
them against Egypt."
26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so 
that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and 
chariot drivers." 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and 
at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled 
before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters 
returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire 
army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them 
remained. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, 
the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel 
saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great work 
that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD 
and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

15: 20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her 
hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with 
dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:
""Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."



PSALM 16   (RCL)

Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to She'ol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


Psalm 118: 2 - 4, 13 - 15, 22 - 24  (Roman Catholic)

Psal 118:2 (NRSV) Let Israel say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
"The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;

22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.


SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1: 3 - 9   (all)

1Pet 1:3 (NRSV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an 
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in 
heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through 
faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this 
you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer 
various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith--being more 
precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire--may be 
found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is 
revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even 
though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an 
indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of 
your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Note: For C of E, if the alternate OT reading was used for the first 
reading, the Acts reading above should be used here.


GOSPEL: John 20: 19 - 31   (all)

John 20:19 (NRSV) When 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." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his 
side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said 
to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send 
you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 
"Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are 
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not 
with them when Jesus came. 25 So 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."
26 A 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." 27 Then 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." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? 
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, 
which are not written in this book. 31 But 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.


-- 
Chad Wohlers
chadwohl at satucket.com
Woodbury, VT   USA