Bible Readings May, 2020

May 3, 2020    Fourth Sunday of Easter

Today is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday”.   Jesus is called the “gate” of the sheep in                today’s gospel.  The risen Christ opens the way to abundant life.  He anoints our heads with oil and guides us beside the still waters of our baptism.  Each Sunday he spreads a feast before us amid the world’s violence and war.  We go forth to be signs of the resurrection and extend God’s tender care            to all creation.

The Prayer of the Day

O God our shephear, you know your sheep by name and lead us to safety through the valleys of death.  Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security to the joyous feast prepared in your house, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,    one God now and forever.  Amen

The First Reading Acts 2:42-47

Today’s reading is a description of life in the community following Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, when the 

Spirit was poured out on God’s people.  This new community is founded on the teachings of the apostles and sustained

 in the breaking of the bread.

⁴²The people devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day 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, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved

Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd,

 I shall not want. 

²He makes me lie down in green pastures;

 he leads me beside still waters; 

³he restores my soul.

 He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 

⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;

 for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

 you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. 

The New Testament Reading 1 Peter 2:19-25

Doing the right things does not guarantee that one will not experience difficulties, hardships, rejection, or even suffering.   Here Christ is presented as the model for our path of endurance and loyalty to God, particularly in the midst of adversity.

¹⁹It  is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. ²⁰If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. ²¹For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ²²“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” ²³When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. 

The Gospel Reading John 10:1-10

Jesus uses an image familiar to the people of his day to make a point about spiritual leadership.  Good shepherds bring people to life through Jesus, but those who avoid Jesus are dangerous to the flock.

10Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. ²The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁷So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

May 10, 2020 Fifth Sunday of Easter

As we continue to celebrate the fifty days of Easter today’s gospel includes Jesus’ promise that he goes to prepare a place for his followers in his Father’s house.  Our baptism commissions us to share Jesus’ mission in the world.  As 1 Peter reminds us, we are a holy people, called to proclaim the one who called us out of darkness into light.  In words and deeds we bear witness to the risen Christ—our way, our truth, our life.

The Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.  Give us grace to love one another to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever.  Amen

The First Reading Acts 7:55-60

Stephen was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to serve tables so that the apostles could be free to serve the 

word (Acts 6:1-6).  Stephen does more that distribute food, however.  For his preaching of God’s word, he becomes the first

 martyr of the faith. 

⁵⁵Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” ⁵⁷But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. 

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

¹In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; 

in your righteousness deliver me. 

²Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily.

 Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. 

³You are indeed my rock and my fortress;

 for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 

⁴take me out of the net that is hidden for me,

 for you are my refuge. 

⁵Into your hand I commit my spirit;

 you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

¹⁵My times are in your hand;

 deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 

¹⁶Let your face shine upon your servant;

 save me in your steadfast love. 

New Testament Reading 1 Peter 2:2-10

Christ is the cornerstone of God’s saving work and the foundation of our lives.  We are God’s chosen, holy people who continuously celebrate and declare the mercy of God we experience through Jesus Christ.

²Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. ⁴Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” ⁷To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” ⁸and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

The Gospel Reading John 14:1-14

On the night that he is to be arrested, Jesus share final words with his disciples.  As the one through who God is known,

 he promises to go before them and act on their behalf.

14 Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” ⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. 

May 17, 2020     Sixth Sunday of Easter

Jesus does not abandon his followers.  Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to abide with his disciples of every generation.  As Pentecost draws near, we are reminded that the risen Christ dwells in us as the Spirit of truth.  We receive the Spirit in baptism and pray that in our gathering around the Lord’s table the Sprit will transform us to be the body of the risen Christ in the world.

The Prayer of the Day

Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and earth.  In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

The First Reading Acts 17:22-31

In Athens, Paul faces the challenge of proclaiming the gospel to Greeks who know nothing of either Jewish or Christian tradition. 

 He proclaims that the “unknown god” they worship is the true Lord of heaven and earth who will judge the world with justice 

through Jesus whom God has raised from the dead.

²² Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ²⁹Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 

Psalm 66:8-20

⁸Bless our God, O peoples, 

let the sound of his praise be heard, 

⁹who has kept us among the living,

 and has not let our feet slip. 

¹⁰For you, O God, have tested us;

 you have tried us as silver is tried. 

¹¹You brought us into the net; 

you laid burdens on our backs; 

¹²you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; 

yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 

¹³I will come into your house with burnt offerings; 

I will pay you my vows, 

¹⁴those that my lips uttered

 and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 

¹⁵I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;

 I will make an offering of bulls and goats.  

¹⁶Come and hear, all you who fear God,

 and I will tell what he has done for me. 

¹⁷I cried aloud to him, 

and he was extolled with my tongue. 

¹⁸If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

 the Lord would not have listened. 

¹⁹But truly God has listened;

 he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 

²⁰Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer

 or removed his steadfast love from me. 

New Testament Reading 1 Peter 3:13-22

Christians have zeal for doing what is right in God’s eyes no matter what the circumstances because in baptism we are saved and made alive.  Thus our Christian beliefs and behavior are to be a matter of public record just as our baptism is.

¹³Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? ¹⁴But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, ¹⁵but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; ¹⁶yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. ¹⁸For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. 

The Gospel Reading John 14:15-21

In final words to his disciples on the night of his arrest, Jesus encourage obedience to his commandments and speaks

 of the Spirit, who will be with them forever.

¹⁵”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ¹⁸”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” 

May 24, 2020  Seventh Sunday of Easter

In these days between Ascention and Pentecost, we gather with the disciples in the upper room, waiting for the Spirit to transform the church around the world.  In today’s gospel Jesus prays for his followers and for their mission in his name.  Amid religious, social, and economic divisions, we seek the unity that Jesus had with his Father.  Made one in baptism, we go forth to live our faith in the world, eager for the unity that God intends for the whole human family.

Prayer of the Day

O God of glory, your Son Jesus Christ suffered for us and ascended to your right hand.  Unite us with Christ and each other in suffering and in joy, that all the world may be drawn into your bountiful presence, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

The First Reading Acts 1:6-14

Today’s reading is part of the introduction to the narrative of the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost.  These verses tell of the risen Lord’s conversation with his disciples on the eve of his ascension.

When Jesus and his disciples had come together, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” ¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. 

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35

Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; 

let those who hate him flee before him. 

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;

as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God. 

³But let the righteous be joyful;

let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. 

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord— be exultant before him. 

⁵Father of orphans and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation. 

⁶God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

but the rebellious live in a parched land. 

⁷O God, when you went out before your people, 

when you marched through the wilderness, 

⁸the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,

at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 

⁹Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; 

you restored your heritage when it languished; 

¹⁰your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness,

O God, you provided for the needy. 

³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;

sing praises to the Lord,  

³³O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;

listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 

³⁴Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel;

and whose power is in the skies. 

³⁵Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel;

he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! 

The Second Reading 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Our faith in Christ does not make us immune from the scorn of others.  Nevertheless, we are to resist the designs of evil when we experience disparagement from others, because we trust God’s grace will strengthen and guide us.

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

 ⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 

 

The Gospel Reading John 17:1-11

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prays to his heavenly Father, asking that those who continue his 

work in this world will live in unity.

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. ⁶”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 

May 31, 2020  Day of Pentecost

Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover.  Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us.  In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people.  Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts.  Jesus breathes the Holy Sprion his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin.  We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world.

The Prayer of the Day

O God,  on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit.  Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

The First Reading Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival that marked the fiftieth day after Passover.  Luke portrays the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the disciples before the gathered and astonished people assembled in Jerusalem for the festival.  Filled with the Spirit, the disciples were able to witness to the power of Christ’s resurrection.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.⁵Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” ¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o”clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. ¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. ²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. ²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 

 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

²⁴O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures. 

²⁵Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, 

living things both small and great. 

²⁶There go the ships,

and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 

²⁷These all look to you

to give them their food in due season; 

²⁸when you give to them, they gather it up; 

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 

²⁹When you hide your face, they are dismayed; 

when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 

³⁰When you send forth your spirit, they are created;

and you renew the face of the ground. 

³¹May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works— 

³²who looks on the earth and it trembles, 

who touches the mountains and they smoke. 

³³I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 

³⁴May my meditation be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord. 

³⁵Bless the Lord,

O my soul. Praise the Lord! 

The Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Paul is helping the Corinthians understand the relationship between our God-given unity and Spirit-created diversity. The Spirit creates the unity of faith and gives all Christians diverse gifts for the common benefit of all.  We need one another’s diverse spiritual gifts, because the same Spirit has given them to each person for the common good.

³ No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. ¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

The Gospel Reading John 20:19-23

The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction, a commission, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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.”