Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Almighty God, who through your only begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life; grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 7, verses 55 to 60

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God

and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens

opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered

their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they

dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their

coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen,

he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a

loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he

died.

A reading from the first letter of Peter, chapter 2, verses 2 to 10

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow

into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a

living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight,

and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy

priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For

it stands in scripture: ‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and

precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ To you then who

believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the

builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’, and ‘A stone that makes

them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they

disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal

priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the

mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Once

you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received

mercy, but now you have received mercy.

A reading from the gospel according to John, chapter 14, verses 1 to 14

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my

Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told

you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I

will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be

also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him,

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus

said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father

except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on

you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the

Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this

time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the

Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in

the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on

my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in

the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of

the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do

the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am

going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may

be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Second Collect - Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and

the life; grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life;

who is alive and reign, now and for ever.

Amen