? Third Sunday of Easter – 5/1/2022

Reading 1, Acts 5:27-32, 40-41

²⁷ When they had brought them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation.

²⁸ ‘We gave you a strong warning’, he said, ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt for this man’s death on us.’

²⁹ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men;

³⁰ it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, whom you executed by hanging on a tree.

³¹ By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel.

³² We are witnesses to this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

⁴⁰ and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

⁴¹ And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

² Yahweh, my God, I cried to you for help and you healed me.

⁴ Make music for Yahweh, all you who are faithful to him, praise his unforgettable holiness.

⁵ His anger lasts but a moment, his favour through life; In the evening come tears, but with dawn cries of joy.

⁶ Carefree, I used to think, ‘Nothing can ever shake me!’

¹¹ You have turned my mourning into dancing, you have stripped off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

¹² So my heart will sing to you unceasingly, Yahweh, my God, I shall praise you for ever.

Gospel, John 21:1-19

¹ Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this:

² Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together.

³ Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

⁴ When it was already light, there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.

⁵ Jesus called out, ‘Haven’t you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No,’

⁶ he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they threw the net out and could not haul it in because of the quantity of fish.

⁷ The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words, ‘It is the Lord,’ Simon Peter tied his outer garment round him (for he had nothing on) and jumped into the water.

⁸ The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net with the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

⁹ As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it.

¹⁰ Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’

¹¹ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken.

¹² Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’. They knew quite well it was the Lord.

¹³ Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish.

¹⁴ This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

¹⁵ When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’

¹⁶ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’

¹⁷ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

¹⁸ In all truth I tell you, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’

¹⁹ In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’

Reading 2, Revelation 5:11-14

¹¹ In my vision, I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the living creatures and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands,

¹² loudly chanting: Worthy is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.

¹³ Then I heard all the living things in creation — everything that lives in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, crying: To the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.

¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen’; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.