Scripture Readings

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
In Year C

Scripture readings are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

First Reading
Psalm
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading

First Reading

     The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
     Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
     “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
     “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
     “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
     “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
     When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
—Acts 11:1-18, NIV

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Psalm

Praise the LORD.
     Praise the LORD from the heavens,
     praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels,
     praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon,
     praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
     and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
     for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever;
     he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth,
     you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
     stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
     fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
     small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
     you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens,
     old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
     for his name alone is exalted;
     his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
He has raised up for his people a horn,
     the praise of all his saints,
     of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD.
—Psalm 148, NIV

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Epistle

     Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
     He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
     He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
—Revelation 21:1-6, NIV

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Gospel

    When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
     “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
     “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
—John 13:31-35, NIV

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