Acts 5:27-32
When the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Psalm 150
1 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy temple; *
praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; *
praise him for his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the blast of the ram’s-horn; *
praise him with lyre and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; *
praise him with strings and pipe.
5 Praise him with resounding cymbals; *
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath *
praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
Revelation 1:4-8
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
John 20:19-31
When 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.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
HYMNS
AT THE LAMB’S HIGH FEAST WE SING
At the Lamb’s high feast we sing praise to our victorious King,
Who hath washed us in the tide flowing from his pierced side;
Praise we him, whose love divine gives his sacred Blood for wine,
Gives his Body for the feast, Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
Mighty victim from on high, hell’s fierce powers beneath thee lie;
Thou hast conquered in the fight, thous hast brought us life and light;
Now no more can death appall, now no more the grave enthrall;
Thou hast opened paradise, and in thee thy saints shall rise.
Easter triumph, Easter joy, these alone do sin destroy.
From sin’s power do thou set free souls new born, O Lord in thee.
Hymns of glory, songs of praise, Father, unto thee we raise;
Risen Lord, all praise to thee with the Spirit ever be.
WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT
We walk by faith, and not by sight;
No gracious words we hear
From him who spoke as none e’er spoke;
But we believe him near.
We may not touch his hands and side,
Nor follow where he trod;
But in his promise we rejoice;
And cry, “My Lord and God!”
Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
And may our faith abound,
To call on you when you are near,
And seek where you are found.
That, when our life of faith is done,
In realms of clearer light
We may behold you as you are,
With full and endless sight.
CHRIST IS ALIVE! LET CHRISTIANS SING
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
His cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
His love in death shall never die.
Christ is alive! No longer bound
To distant years in Palestine,
He comes to claim the here and now
And conquer every place and time.
Not throned above, remotely high,
Untouched, unmoved by human pains,
But daily in the midst of life,
Our Savior with the Father reigns.
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
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