Sunday between 26 December and 1 January    

Saint John the Evangelist (Year B)

First Reading - Exodus 33.7-11a

A reading from the book of Exodus. Moses set up a tent, called the Tent of Meeting, far outside the camp, and anyone who sought the Lord would go to it. Whenever Moses himself went out to it, all the people would stand by their tents and watch. The pillar of cloud would descend, and would stand by the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses there. When they saw the pillar of cloud, standing at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, all the people would bow down, each of them at the entrance of their tent. And the Lord would speak with Moses there, face to face, as you speak with a friend. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - 1 John 3.1-2

A reading from the first letter of John. The love that God the Father has for us is so great that we are already declared to be children of God. Those who do not know the Father neither see nor understand this. My brothers and sisters, already we are children of God; but there is more that is still to be revealed, of what we are yet to become; for we trust that when Christ appears in glory, we will become yet more fully like him, for we shall see him face to face. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - John 21.19b-25

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Follow me.’ Peter turned, and saw ‘the disciple Jesus loved’ approaching them. (This is the disciple who had been next to Jesus, at the supper, and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you.’) When Peter saw this disciple approaching, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ And Jesus said to Peter, ‘If it is my will that he remains until I return, what is that to you? You, follow me!’ So the rumour spread, amongst the believers, that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say that this disciple would not die; Jesus said, ‘If it is my will that he remains until I return, what is that to you?’ This is the very disciple now recording all these things, and writing them; so you can know that this account is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did. And if every one of them were written down, the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. This is the Gospel of the Lord.