Second Sunday of Easter (Year B)

First Reading - Acts 8.26-38

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles. An angel of the Lord appeared to Philip and said, ‘Get up, and go towards the south, on the wilderness road that goes down from Jerusalem towards Gaza.’ Meanwhile, the chief finance minister of Ethiopia, who had been to Jerusalem to worship, was now returning home in his chariot by that same road. As a servant of the Queen of Ethiopia, he was both Ethiopian, by birth, and a eunuch of the court. The Spirit prompted Philip to walk alongside the chariot, where Philip could hear him reading, from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked him whether he understood what he was reading. He said, ‘How can I understand, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to sit with him. He was reading the passage from Isaiah, which says: “Like a lamb, he was led to the slaughter. And like a sheep, silent before its shearer, he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can speak of his legacy, now his life is taken away?” He asked Philip, ‘Is Isaiah speaking about himself, or someone else?’ And beginning with this scripture, Philip told him the good news of Jesus. As they continued along the road, they came to some water, and the court official said, ‘Look, here is water! Is there any reason why I should not be baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, and Philip baptised him there. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - 1 John 1.1-5

A reading from the first letter of John. We are writing to you, with great joy, about the eternal Word of Life, which existed, from the beginning, with the Father, and which we have now heard with our ears, and seen with our eyes, and touched with our hands.

We write to you, so that you may be in fellowship with us, and indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And this is the message that we have received, and now proclaim to you: that God is light; and that in God, there is no shadow or darkness at all. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - John 20.19-31

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. The disciples met together on the evening of the first day of the week, with the doors locked, because they were afraid. And Jesus came, and stood amongst them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ He showed them his hands, and his side. And the disciples were filled with joy at seeing the risen Lord. Jesus said to them, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And breathing on them, he said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone, they are forgiven. If you fail to forgive, sin remains.’ Now one of the twelve, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. When the other disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, Thomas said to them, ‘Unless I see and touch the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later, Thomas was with the disciples when they gathered. And again, though the doors were locked, Jesus came, and stood amongst them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Jesus said to Thomas, ‘See and touch my hands, and place your hand in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord, and my God!’ Jesus said to Thomas, ‘You have seen me, and you have believed. Blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.’ Jesus did many other signs, in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and through believing, may have life in his name. This is the Gospel of the Lord.