Ascension St. Matthew’s

God’s Work. Our Hands. God’s World. Our Neighborhood. All are Welcome. Come Share the Spirit

April 7th - Second Sunday of Easter , Year B

Readings - First Reading - Acts 4:32-35 , Psalm 133

Second Reading - 1 John 1:1-2:2, Gospel - John 20:19-31

The Easter season is a week of weeks, seven Sundays when we play in the mystery of Christ’s presence, mostly through the glorious Gospel of John. Today we gather with the disciples on the first Easter, and Jesus breathes the Spirit on us. With Thomas we ask for a sign, and Jesus offers us his wounded self in the broken bread. From frightened individuals we are transformed into a community of open doors, peace, forgiveness, and material sharing such that no one among us is in need.

April 14th- Third Sunday of Easter, Year B

Readings - First Reading - Acts3:12-19, Psalm 4

Second Reading -1 John 3:1-7, Gospel Luke 24: 36b-48

The gospel for the third Sunday of Easter is always one in which the risen Christ shares food with the disciples, meals that are the Easter template for the meal we share each Sunday. In today’s gospel, Jesus both shares the disciples’ food and shows them the meaning of his suffering, death, and resurrection through the scriptures, the two main elements of our Sunday worship.

April 21st- Fourth Sunday of Easter. Year B

Readings - First Reading - Acts 4: 5-12, Psalm 23

Second Reading - 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18

The image of the good shepherd shows us how the risen Christ brings us to life. It is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, one of mutual knowledge and love, that gives the shepherd authority. The shepherd’s willingness to lay down his life for the sheep shows his love. First John illustrates what it means to lay down our lives for one another by the example of sharing our wealth with any sibling in need.

April 28th - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B

Readings - First Reading - Acts 8:26-40 , Psalm 22: 25-31

Second Reading - 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8

This Sunday’s image of how the risen Christ shares his life with us is the image of the vine. Christ the vine and we the branches are alive in each other, in the mystery of mutual abiding described in the gospel and the first letter of John. Baptism makes us a part of Christ’s living and life-giving self and makes us alive with Christ’s life. As the vine brings food to the branches, Christ feeds us at his table. We are sent out to bear fruit for the life of the world.