OLD TESTAMENT READINGS FOR SUNDAYS IN EASTERTIDE
For those who require an Old Testament reading on the Sundays in Eastertide, provision is made for the Church of England or Church of Ireland/Church in Wales. If these are used, the reading from Acts must be used as the Second Reading.

EASTER 3 YEAR B


FIRST READING (Alternative readings)

Either Acts 3.12-19

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
12 Peter 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.'

Or Zephaniah 3.14-20 (Church Of England alternative)
If this is used, the reading from Acts (above) must be used as the Second Reading.

A reading from the book of the prophet Zephaniah.
14 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 judgements 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.

Or Micah 4.1-5 (Church of Scotland/Church in Wales alternative)
If this is used, the reading from Acts (above) must be used as the Second Reading.

A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
1 In days to come the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it,
2 and many nations shall come and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob: that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;
4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.


PSALM Psalm 4

RR Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

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 dishonour my glory; how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?' RR
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. RR
5 Offer the appointed sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, 'O that we might see better times!' Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord. RR
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. RR


SECOND READING (Alternative readings)

Either If the reading from Acts has been used as the first reading.

1 John 3.1-7

A reading from the first letter of John.
1 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.

OrIf the Old Testament reading has been used as the first reading.

Acts 3.12-19

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
12 Peter 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.'


GOSPEL Luke 24.36-48

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
36 While the eleven and their companions were talking about what they had heard, 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.'