Lectionary Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A

Readings, Responsorial Psalm and Gospel

Reading I, Acts 2, 14. 22-28

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
It was impossible for him to be held by the power of
Hades.

On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and addressed them: "You who are Jews,
indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem! Listen to what
I have to say: Men of Israel, listen to me! Jesus the
Nazorean was a man whom God sent to you with miracles,
wonders and signs as his credentials. These God worked
through him in your midst, as you well know. He was
delivered up by the set purpose and pland of God; you
even used pagans to crucify and kill him. God freed him
from death's bitter pangs, however, and raised him up
again, for it was impossible that death should keep its
hold on him. David says of him:

'I have set the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
My heart has been glad and my tongue has rejoiced,
my body will live on in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
You have shown me the paths of life;
you fill me with joy in your presence.'"

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm, Ps 16, 1-2 5. 7-8. 9-10. 11. R. v. 11

R. Lord, you will show us the path of life.

1. Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the Lord, "My Lord are you."
O Lord, my alloted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot. R.

2. I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. R.

3. Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the
nether world, nor will you suffer your
faithful one to undergo corruption. R.

4. You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. R.

Reading II, 1 Pt 1, 17-21

A Reading From the First Letter of Peter
The ransom that was paid to free you was the blood
of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

In prayer you call upon a Father who judges each one
justly, on the basis of his actions. Since this is so,
conduct yourselves reverently during your sojourn in
a strange land. Realize that you were delivered from
the futile way of life your fathers handed on to you,
not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold but by
Christ's blood beyond all price: the blood of a spotless,
unblemished lamb chosen before the world's foundation
and revealed for your sake in these last days. It is
through him you are believers in God, the God who
raised him from the dead and gave him glory. Your
faith and hope, then, are centered in God.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel, Lk 24, 13-35

Alleluia See Lk 24, 32
R. Alleluia. Lord Jesus, make your word
plain to us, make our hearts burn with love
when you speak. R. Alleluia.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke
They had recognized him at the breaking of the
bread.

Two disciples of Jesus that same day, the first day
of the sabbath, were making their way to a village
named Emmaus seven miles distant from Jerusalem,
discussing as they went all that had happened. In
the course of their lively exchange, Jesus approached
and began to walk along with them. However, they were
restrained from recognizing him. He said to them,
"What are you discussing as you go your way?" They
halted in distress, and one of them, Cleopas by
name, asked him, "Are you the only resident of
Jerusalem who does not know the things that went on
there these past few days?" He said to them, "What
things?" They said: "All those that had to do with
Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet powerful in word and
deed in the eyes of God and all the people; how our
chief priests and leaders delivered him up to be
condemned to death, and crucified him. We were hoping
that he was the one who would set Israel free.
Besides all this, today, the third day since these
things happened, some women of our group have just
brought us some astonishing news. They were at the
tomb before dawn and failed to find his body, but
returned with the tale that they had seen a vision of
angels who declared that he was alive. Some of our
number went to the tomb and found it to be just as
the women said; but him they did not see."

Then he said to them "What little sense you have!
How slow you are to believe all that the prophets
have announced! Did not the Messiah have to undergo
all this so as to enter into his glory?" Beginning,
then, with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted
for them every passage of Scripture which referred to
him. By now they were near the village to which they
were going, and he acted as if he were going farther.
But they pressed him: "Stay with us. It is nearly
evening - the day is practically over." So he went
in to stay with them.

When he had seated himself with them to eat, he took
bread, pronounced the blessing, then broke the bread
and began to distribute it to them. With that their
eyes were opened and they recognized him; whereupon
he vanished from their sight. They said to one
another, "Were not our hearts burning inside us as
he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures
to us?" They got up immediately and returned to Jerusalem,
where they found the Eleven and the rest of the company
assembled. They were greeted with, "The Lord has been
raised! It is true! He has appeared to Simon." Then
they recounted what had happened on the road and how
they had come to know him in the breaking of the bread.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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