Mass Readings - Sunday, 12th April 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles   10:34. 37-43
We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection.

Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard
about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth
and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching
baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power,
and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and
curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and
those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the
countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact
that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days
afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by
the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen
beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and
drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has
ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God
has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that
all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will
have their sins forgiven through his name.’

The Word of the Lord.


Responsorial Psalm Ps 117

Response:  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1. 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.’

2. The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.

3. The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.


SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians   3:1-4
You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is.

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must
look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s
right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the
things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the
life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed
– and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

The Word of the Lord.
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Alternative READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 5:6-8
Get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely
new batch of bread.

You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to
leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make
yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as
you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us
celebrate the feast, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and
wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Word of the Lord.
________________________________


Sequence

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

Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed;
let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord.
Alleluia!


GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to John 20:1-9
He must rise from the dead.

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had
been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter
and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the
Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have
put him.’
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb.
They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter,
reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying
on the ground, but did not go in.
Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the
tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that
had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled
up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in;
he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to
understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord.