OLD TESTAMENT READINGS FOR SUNDAYS IN EASTERTIDE
For those who require an Old Testament reading on the Sundays in Eastertide, provision is made below 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 C


FIRST READING (Short or long reading) Acts 9.1­6, (7­20)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
1 Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'
5 He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'
[ 7 The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' He answered, 'Here I am, Lord.'
11 The Lord said to him, 'Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.'
13 But Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.'
15 But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.'
17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God.' ]

Or Zephaniah 3.14­20 (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 Jeremiah 32.36­41 (Church Of Ireland / 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 Jeremiah.
36 Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, 'It is being given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence':
37 See, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety.
38 They shall be my people, and I will be their God.
39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me.
41 I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.


PSALM Psalm 30

R I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up.
or
R You have made me, Lord, as strong as the mountains.

1 I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. R
4 Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, his favour for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning. R
7 While I felt secure, I said, 'I shall never be disturbed. You, Lord, with your favour, made me as strong as the mountains.'
8 Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear. R
9 I cried to you, O Lord; I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 'What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; O Lord, be my helper.' R
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy;
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever. R


SECOND READING (Alternative readings)

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

Revelation 5.11­14

A reading from the book of Revelation.
11 I, John, looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
12 singing with full voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!'
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, 'To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!'
14 And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' And the elders fell down and worshipped.

Or If the Old Testament reading has been used as the first reading.

Acts 9.1­6, (7­20)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
1 Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'
5 He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'
[ 7 The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' He answered, 'Here I am, Lord.'
11 The Lord said to him, 'Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.'
13 But Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.'
15 But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.'
17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God.' ]


GOSPEL John 21.1­19

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
1 Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will go with you.' They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Jesus said to them, 'Children, you have no fish, have you?' They answered him, 'No.'
6 He said to them, 'Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake.
8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.'
11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, 'Who are you?' because they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
16 A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'
17 He said to him the third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.
18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.'
19 He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God. After this he said to him, 'Follow me.'

Reuben Condie Reuben Condie