Church of the Sacred Heart
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR B)
Weekend of 17 & 18 April 2021
Entrance Antiphon
Cf. Ps 65: 1-2
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth;
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise, alleluia.
First Reading Acts 3:13-15,17-19
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the dead
Peter said to the people: ‘You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses.
‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to
God, so that your sins may be wiped out.’
The word of the Lord
Response: Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 4:2,4,7,9
R. Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!
R. Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.
R. Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
‘What can bring us happiness?’ many say.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
R. Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once
for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
R. Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
Second Reading 1 John 2:1-5
A reading from the first letter of St John
Jesus Christ is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, and the world's
I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours,
but the whole world’s.
We can be sure that we know God
only by keeping his commandments.
Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,
and does not keep his commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the truth.
But when anyone does obey what he has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
The word of the Lord.
Response: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation cf.Lk24:32
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.
Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 24:35-48
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Response: Glory to you, O Lord
It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead
The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.
They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.
Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Response: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer Of The Faithful
Introduction: Having reflected on God’s invitation to submit our lives in truth to the healing power of the Risen Christ, we offer these prayers and petitions for ourselves and for all the nations of the world.
Response: Author of life, hear our prayer.
1. That our individual and corporate deeds in the past, present, and future may not separate us from our true selves or from the Risen Christ, let us pray.
2. That we may be truthful witnesses to all the nations of the world that Jesus the Christ dwells in our midst, let us pray.
3. That all the faithful have the courage to reform their lives by turning to God, let us pray.
4. That believers may recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, let us pray.
5. We now pray in silence for other needs and intentions … Let us pray.
Conclusion: O God, we trust your power to transform our narrowness of vision for ourselves, our communities, and our world. Grant us the courage to accept the peace and vitality you hold out to us in the gift of Easter faith. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
