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| "The Appearance of Christ at the Cenacle" - by James Tissot |
Thursday in the Octave of Easter
FIRST
READING: Acts 3: 11 - 26
11
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them
in the portico called Solomon's, astounded.
12
And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, "Men of Israel,
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 and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,
glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the
presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.
14
But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer
to be granted to you,
15
and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this
we are witnesses.
16
And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you
see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man
this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17
"And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did
also your rulers.
18
But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his
Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
19
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
20
and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
21
whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God
spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.
22
Moses said, `The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your
brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he
tells you.
23
And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet
shall be destroyed from the people.'
24
And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came
afterwards, also proclaimed these days.
25
You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave
to your fathers, saying to Abraham, `And in your posterity shall all
the families of the earth be blessed.'
26
God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless
you in turning every one of you from your wickedness."
PSALM: Psalms 8: 2, 5 - 9
2
by the mouth of babes and infants, thou hast founded a bulwark
because of thy foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
5
Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with
glory and honor.
6
Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast
put all things under his feet,
7
all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along
the paths of the sea.
9 O
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth!
GOSPEL: Luke 24: 35 - 48
35
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to
them in the breaking of the bread.
36
As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them.
37
But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a
spirit.
38
And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do
questionings rise in your hearts?
39
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see;
for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have."
41
And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, 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 before them.
44
Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you,
while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the
law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."
45
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,
46
and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
47
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his
name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48
You are witnesses of these things.
