Thursday of Easter Week

Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Epistle: Acts 3:11-26
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'

"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Psalm 8

1. O LORD our Governor, *
   how exalted is your Name in all the world!
2. Out of the mouths of infants and children *
   your majesty is praised above the heavens.
3. You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
   to quell the enemy and the avenger.
4. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
   the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
5. What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
   the son of man that you should seek him out?
6. You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
   you adorn him with glory and honor;
7. You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
   you put all things under his feet:
8. All sheep and oxen, *
   even the wild beasts of the field,
9. The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
   and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
10. O LORD our Governor, *
    how exalted is your Name in all the world!

OR

Psalm 114

1. Hallelujah!
   When Israel came out of Egypt, *
   the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
2. Judah became God's sanctuary *
   and Israel his dominion.
3. The sea beheld it and fled; *
   Jordan turned and went back.
4. The mountains skipped like rams, *
   and the little hills like young sheep.
5. What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? *
   O Jordan, that you turned back?
6. You mountains, that you skipped like rams? *
   you little hills like young sheep?
7. Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, *
   at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8. Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water *
   and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

OR

Psalm 118:19-24

• Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
  I will enter them;
  I will offer thanks to the LORD.
• "This is the gate of the LORD; *
  he who is righteous may enter."
• I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
  and have become my salvation.
• The same stone which the builders rejected *
  has become the chief cornerstone.
• This is the LORD'S doing, *
  and it is marvelous in our eyes.
• On this day the LORD has acted; *
  we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48
"Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

Sts. Vidicon & Isidore