Readings for Easter Day April 16, 2006

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading
A Reading from the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,
so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.


Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Confitemini Domino
Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good; * his mercy endures for ever.
Let Israel now proclaim, *"His mercy endures for ever."

The LORD is my strength and my song, *and he has become my salvation.

There is a sound of exultation and victory *in the tents of the righteous:

The right hand of the LORD has triumphed! *the right hand of the LORD is exalted!the right hand of the LORD has triumphed!"

I shall not die, but live, *and declare the works of the LORD.

The LORD has punished me sorely, *but he did not hand me over to death.

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.

Glory to the One Holy and Undivided Trinity, One God, now and forever. Amen.

Second Reading

A Reading from the first letter from Paul to the Church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to those gathered here today.
Thanks be to God.

The Holy Gospel
The Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to John
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.