Thursday 23rd April
OT: 1Maccabees 2. 59-64
Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael believed and were saved from the
flame. Daniel, because of his innocence, was delivered from the mouth of
the lions.
‘And so observe, from generation to generation, that none of those
who put their trust in him will lack strength. Do not fear the words of
sinners, for their splendour will turn into dung and worms. Today they
will be exalted, but tomorrow they will not be found, because they will have
returned to the dust, and their plans will have perished. My children, be
courageous and grow strong in the law, for by it you will gain honour.
Gospel: John 15. 18-21
‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Sunday 26th April
OT: Genesis 7.
Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.’ And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood
of waters came on the earth. And Noah with his sons and his wife and his
sons’ wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of
clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of
everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went
into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And
after seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth.
In the
six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day
of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and
the windows of the heavens were opened. The rain
fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. On
the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife
and the three wives of his sons, entered the ark, they and every wild animal of
every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind—every bird, every winged
creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two
and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And
those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded
him; and the Lord shut him in.
The flood continued for forty days on the
earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above
the earth. The waters swelled and increased
greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. The
waters swelled so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the
whole heaven were covered; the waters swelled above the mountains, covering
them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that
moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming
creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings; everything on dry land
in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He
blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings
and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out
from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the
ark. And the waters swelled on the earth for one
hundred and fifty days.
NT: Acts 2. 42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being
done by the apostles. All who believed were together and
had all things in common; they would sell their
possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had
need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they
broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising
God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to
their number those who were being saved.
Gospel: John 10. 1-10
‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.