Almighty God, who through thy only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast
overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life:
We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing
us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual
help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end. _Amen_.
FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts xiii. 26.
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever
among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they
knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read
every sabbath-day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they
Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all
that w r as written of him, they took him down from the tree, and
laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: and he
was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to
Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare
unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto
the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children,
in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in
the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more
to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the
sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm,
Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David,
after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on
sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: but he
whom God raised again saw no corruption. Be it known unto you there
fore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of
Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken
of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish:
for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise
believe, though a man declare it unto you.
THE GOSPEL. St Luke xxiv. 36.
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and
supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why
are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for
a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he
had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while
they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them,
Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish,
and of an honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And
he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the
psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they
might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.