First Reading

First reading

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:14.22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven, before the crowd, and raising his voice, said: «Fellow Israelites, listen to me. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs that God did through him, as you yourselves know. In accordance with the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you handed him over, and you used the Gentiles to nail him to the cross.

But God raised him up, breaking the bonds of death, since it was impossible for death to keep him under its power. Indeed, David says of him: I kept the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.

Brothers, let me speak freely to you: the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne. With prophetic foresight he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, who was not abandoned to death nor did he undergo decay.

Therefore, God raised this Jesus, and of that we all are witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and poured it out, as you see and hear.»

Second reading

1 Peter 1:17-21

Beloved: Since you call upon God as Father, who judges each impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning on earth.

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for your sake. Through him you have come to believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 

Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself drew near and went with them; but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, «What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?» And they stood still, looking sad.

One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, «Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?» And he said to them, «What things?» And they said to him, «Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.»

And he said to them, «O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?» And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him, saying, «Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.» So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, «Did not our hearts burn within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening to us the Scriptures?»

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, «The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!» Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.