He Breathed on Them (St. John 20:11-23)

Living Words

The Collect
ALMIGHTY Father, you gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: Grant that we may put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, and always serve you in purity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Old Testament. Isaiah 43:1-12
BUT now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true. “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.”
Psalm 112
Beatus vir.
O PRAISE the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord:
and greatly delights in his commandments.
His children shall be mighty in the land:
a race of upright men who will be blessed.
Riches and plenty shall be in his house:
and his righteousness stands for ever.
Light arises in darkness for the upright:
gracious and merciful is the righteous man.
It goes well with the man who acts generously and lends:
who guides his affairs with justice.
Surely he shall never be moved:
the righteous shall be held in everlasting remembrance.
He will not fear bad tidings:
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is confident and will not fear:
he will see the downfall of his enemies.
He gives freely to the poor:
his righteousness stands for ever, his head is uplifted in glory.
The wicked man shall see it and be angry:
he shall gnash his teeth and consume away; and the hope of the wicked shall fail:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now:
and shall be for ever. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 St. John 5:4-12
EVERYONE who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
The Gospel. St. John 20:19-23
ON the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.