St. Martin's In the Desert

Month: May 2025

  • Seventh Sunday of Easter

    Seventh Sunday of Easter

    • Acts 16:16-34
    • Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21
    • John 17:20-26
    • Psalm 97

    The Collect

    O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

    The First Lesson

    Acts 16:16-34

    With Paul and Silas, we came to Philippi in Macedonia, a Roman colony, and, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

    But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

    About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

    The Psalm

    Psalm 97

    Dominus regnavit

    1 The Lord is King;
    let the earth rejoice; *
    let the multitude of the isles be glad.

    2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, *
    righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

    3 A fire goes before him *
    and burns up his enemies on every side.

    4 His lightnings light up the world; *
    the earth sees it and is afraid.

    5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *
    at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

    6 The heavens declare his righteousness, *
    and all the peoples see his glory.

    7 Confounded be all who worship carved images
    and delight in false gods! *
    Bow down before him, all you gods.

    8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *
    because of your judgments, O Lord.

    9 For you are the Lord,
    most high over all the earth; *
    you are exalted far above all gods.

    10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; *
    he preserves the lives of his saints
    and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

    11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, *
    and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.

    12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *
    and give thanks to his holy Name.

    The Epistle

    Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21

    At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words:

    “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

    Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

    “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

    The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
    And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
    And let everyone who is thirsty come.
    Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

    The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

    Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

    The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

    The Gospel

    John 17:20-26

    Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

    “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

  • Sixth Sunday of Easter

    • Acts 16:9-15
    • Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
    • John 14:23-29
    • or John 5:1-9
    • Psalm 67

     

    The Collect

    O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    The First Lesson

    Acts 16:9-15

    During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

    We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

    The Psalm

    Psalm 67

    Deus misereatur

    1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
    show us the light of his countenance and come to us.

    2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
    your saving health among all nations.

    3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
    let all the peoples praise you.

    4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide all the nations upon earth.

    5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
    let all the peoples praise you.

    6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
    may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

    7 May God give us his blessing, *
    and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

    The Epistle

    Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

    In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

    I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day– and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

    Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

    The Gospel

    John 14:23-29

    Jesus said to Judas (not Iscariot), “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

    “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”

    or

    John 5:1-9

    After Jesus healed the son of the official in Capernaum, there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

    Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids– blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

    source: https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEaster6_RCL.html
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  • Fifth Sunday of Easter

    • Acts 11:1-18
    • Revelation 21:1-6
    • John 13:31-35
    • Psalm 148

    The Collect

    Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    The First Lesson

    Acts 11:1-18

    Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, `By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, `What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

    The Psalm

    Psalm 148

    Laudate Dominum

    1 Hallelujah!
    Praise the Lord from the heavens; *
    praise him in the heights.

    2 Praise him, all you angels of his; *
    praise him, all his host.

    3 Praise him, sun and moon; *
    praise him, all you shining stars.

    4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, *
    and you waters above the heavens.

    5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord; *
    for he commanded, and they were created.

    6 He made them stand fast for ever and ever; *
    he gave them a law which shall not pass away.

    7 Praise the Lord from the earth, *
    you sea-monsters and all deeps;

    8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
    tempestuous wind, doing his will;

    9 Mountains and all hills, *
    fruit trees and all cedars;

    10 Wild beasts and all cattle, *
    creeping things and winged birds;

    11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
    princes and all rulers of the world;

    12 Young men and maidens, *
    old and young together.

    13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *
    for his Name only is exalted,
    his splendor is over earth and heaven.

    14 He has raised up strength for his people
    and praise for all his loyal servants, *
    the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
    Hallelujah!

    The Epistle

    Revelation 21:1-6

    I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

    “See, the home of God is among mortals.
    He will dwell with them as their God;
    they will be his peoples,
    and God himself will be with them;
    he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
    Death will be no more;
    mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
    for the first things have passed away.”

    And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

    The Gospel

    John 13:31-35

    At the last supper, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    source: https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEaster5_RCL.html
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  • Fourth Sunday of Easter

    • Acts 9:36-43
    • Revelation 7:9-17
    • John 10:22-30
    • Psalm 23

    The Collect

    O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    The First Lesson

    Acts 9:36-43

    Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

    The Psalm

    Psalm 23

    Dominus regit me

    1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
    I shall not be in want.

    2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
    and leads me beside still waters.

    3 He revives my soul *
    and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

    4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; *
    for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

    5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
    you have anointed my head with oil,
    and my cup is running over.

    6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
    and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

    The Epistle

    Revelation 7:9-17

    I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

    “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

    And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,

    “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom

    and thanksgiving and honor

    and power and might

    be to our God forever and ever!
    Amen.”

    Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

    For this reason they are before the throne of God,
    and worship him day and night within his temple,
    and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

    They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
    the sun will not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat;

    for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

    and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

    The Gospel

    John 10:22-30

    At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

    source: https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEaster4_RCL.html
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  • Letter from Bishop

    Sometimes I am asked, “do you think we will actually get this done?” My response usually goes something like, “Well, we are in the miracle business.” A religious sociologist I love, named Ryan Burge, recently had an article stating more than 70% of Christian pastors believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ.* Uh, yeah! I preached a sermon recently about a guy who, around 2000 years ago, had followers all over Jerusalem and the surrounding area, was proclaiming a new world, and upset the authorities so he was crucified. His name was Thaddeus (not our Thaddeus in the Bible). The difference between Thaddeus and Jesus is the Resurrection – and their teachings and works while on earth, of course.

    We believe in new life. We believe in rebirth. We believe in resurrection. THE Resurrection. We just don’t like the whole dying part that goes with it. One of the beautiful things about the Episcopal Church is how we spend time at the cross on Good Friday. We don’t just jump from Palm Sunday’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and then don fancy hats for Easter Sunday. We have a whole week where we enter, slowly and deliberately, into the death of Christ on the cross.

    In the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, we are embracing our Resurrection theology. While most of you don’t experience first hand the dying of a church or congregation, some of us do. When Nevada was a missionary diocese, the Episcopal Church planted congregations everywhere there was a town practically. And, to their credit, bishops of all kinds tried to help churches thrive (and then survive) with programs like Total Ministry. But the weight of the world sometimes becomes more than we can bear.

    This week in our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we lift up St. Mark in Tonopah. The irony is, your Standing Committee (on Monday, April 28) voted to close St. Mark and sell the beautiful little church building there to a growing congregation who, thanks be to God, has been renting the building for their services for years. Please pray for Rev. Tina Snyder. She still lives in Tonopah but is unable to lead services. And pray for Bonni – our last faithful member still living in Tonopah and helping us finalize these last months.

    This work isn’t easy. For anyone. But we keep at it. Being in a diocese that knows the gifts of farming, ranching, and mining remind us what hard work looks like and that life and death are two sides of the same coin. And we give thanks to God to be able to share our resources of land and buildings with others who will spread the Good News. In the case of St. Stephen in Reno – which will be sold on Friday, May 2 – we get the chance to offer much, much needed rental housing to folks trying to live in the communities where they work: teachers, nurses, fire fighters, police officers. How luck are we our land gets to bring about the Kingdom of God in new and exciting ways.

    We believe in new life. We believe in rebirth. We believe in resurrection. But we know our theology requires us die first. Please pray for those who are letting go so others might live.

    Faithfully,

    Bishop Elizabeth

  • Third Sunday of Easter

    Third Sunday of Easter

    • Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)
    • Revelation 5:11-14
    • John 21:1-19
    • Psalm 30

    The Collect

    O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    The First Lesson

    Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

    Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 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. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” [The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 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. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

    Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 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 Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 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; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias 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.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

    For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”]

    The Psalm

    Psalm 30

    Exaltabo te, Domine

    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.

    The Epistle

    Revelation 5:11-14

    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, 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!”

    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!”

    And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

    The Gospel

    John 21:1-19

    Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 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.

    Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 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. 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. 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.

    When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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. 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

    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.” 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.” 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. 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.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

    source: https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEaster3_RCL.html
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