Second Sunday of Easter.

Prayers & Readings for Spiritual Communion.  Download: 2nd Sunday of Easter Readings and Prayers.

 


God of everlasting mercy,Collect

who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast

kindle the faith of the people you have made your own,

increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed,

that all may grasp and rightly understand

in what font they have been washed,

by whose Spirit they have been reborn,

by whose Blood they have been redeemed.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.



First reading

Acts 2:42-47

The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.

The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each one needed.

They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 




Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 117(118):2-4,13-15,22-24

 

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

 

Let the sons of Israel say:

 ‘His love has no end.’

Let the sons of Aaron say:

 ‘His love has no end.’

Let those who fear the Lord say:

 ‘His love has no end.’

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

I was thrust down, thrust down and falling,

 but the Lord was my helper.

The Lord is my strength and my song;

 he was my saviour.

There are shouts of joy and victory

 in the tents of the just.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

The stone which the builders rejected

 has become the corner stone.

This is the work of the Lord,

 a marvel in our eyes.

This day was made by the Lord;

 we rejoice and are glad.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

 

Second reading

1 Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

The word of the Lord 

Thanks be to God. 





Sequence

 

Victimae Paschali Laudes

 

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

 offer sacrifice and praise.

The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;

and Christ, the undefiled,

hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death with life contended:

 combat strangely ended!

Life’s own Champion, slain,

 yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary: 

 say what thou didst see 

 upon the way.

The tomb the Living did enclose;

I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

The angels there attesting;

shroud with grave-clothes resting.

Christ, my hope, has risen:

he goes before you into Galilee.

That Christ is truly risen

 from the dead we know.

Victorious king, thy mercy show!




Gospel Acclamation

Jn20:29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

Alleluia!




Gospel

John 20:19-31

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

 

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain,

they are retained.’

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name. 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 

 

The Homily. (see also on Cathedral and STM website)

 

Prayers of intercession. 

Reader For the Church: that the energy, witness and generosity of the first disciples may be planted deep in our hearts, for the salvation of all.

Lord in your mercy.  Hear our prayer

 

For our country and our people: that, as the effects of the pandemic COVID 19 become clearer, and humanity learns to combat the virus, we may also learn to value the freedom to love just as Christ loved us. 

Lord in your mercy.  Hear our prayer

 

For those who struggle to have faith and seem plagued with doubts:  that they may be graced with a true encounter with the living Christ, and so learn to place their trust in him.

Lord in your mercy.  Hear our prayer.



For all the sick and for those who care for them: that this Easter season may bring them comfort and health in the company of the risen Lord.
Lord in your mercy.  Hear our prayer.

 

For those who have died recently, especially Roland Baines, and for all those with an anniversary of death about this time. May they all have a new birth as the eternal children of God.
Lord in your mercy.  Hear our prayer.

 

We seek the help of Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, to aid us in our prayers as we say...Hail Mary full of grace ...

 

In the silence of our hearts we remember our own intentions before The Lord,



Final Prayer.

 

Day by day increase our faith, O Lord,
that, we who have not seen the Christ,
may, with the help of our answered prayers,
truly confess him as our Lord and God.
Through the same risen Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen



Let us bless the Lord

Thanks be to God.