The following are the readings for the Third Sunday of Easter, May 4, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.

The readings are posted on our web site: <<http://satucket.com/lectionary>>, in RTF format, which can be read by all word processors.

FIRST READING:   Acts 9: 1 - 6 (7 - 20)   RCL)

Acts 9:1 (NRSV) Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tar'sus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Anani'as answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Anani'as went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. gg
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." 

Acts 5: 27b - 32, 40b - 41   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 5:27 (NRSV) The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." 

40  Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 

PSALM 30   (RCL)
Psalm 30: 1, 3 - 5, 10 - 11a, 12b   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 30:1 (NRSV) I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, 
and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, 
and you have healed me. 
3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from She'ol, 
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, 
and give thanks to his holy name. 
5 For his anger is but for a moment; 
his favor is for a lifetime. 
Weeping may linger for the night, 
but joy comes with the morning. 
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, 
"I shall never be moved." 
7 By your favor, O LORD, 
you had established me as a strong mountain; 
you hid your face; 
I was dismayed. 
8 To you, O LORD, I cried, 
and to the LORD I made supplication: 
9 "What profit is there in my death, 
if I go down to the Pit? 
Will the dust praise you? 
Will it tell of your faithfulness? 
10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! 
O LORD, be my helper!" 
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; 
you have taken off my sackcloth 
and clothed me with joy, 
12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. 
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever. 

Note Verse numbering in Roman Catholic Bibles is one higher than the above.

30   Exaltabo te, Domine     (ECUSA BCP)
 
1  	I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have lifted me up *
 	and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
 
2  	O Lord my God, I cried out to you, *
 	and you restored me to health.
 
3  	You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; *
 	you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
 
4  	Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; *
 	give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
 
5  	For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
 	his favor for a lifetime.
 
6  	Weeping may spend the night, *
 	but joy comes in the morning.
 
7  	While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed. *
 	You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as
		the mountains.”
 
8  	Then you hid your face, *
 	and I was filled with fear.
 
9  	I cried to you, O Lord; *
 	I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
 
10  	“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
 	will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

11  	Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; *
 	O Lord, be my helper."
 
12  	You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
 	you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
 
13  	Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
 	O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

SECOND READING:   Revelation 5: 11 - 14   (all)

Reve 5:11 (NRSV) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 singing with full voice, 
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered 
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might 
and honor and glory and blessing!" 
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, 
"To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb 
be blessing and honor and glory and might 
forever and ever!" 
14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped. 

GOSPEL:   John 21: 1 - 19   (RCL)
                    John 21: 1 - 14 (15 - 19)   (Roman Catholic)

John 21:1 (NRSV) After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe'rias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'ael of Ca'na in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 
9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."