Sunday 21st April

Parish Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

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Collect

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise

us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we

may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Reading

Acts 4: 5-12

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are being asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;  it has become the cornerstone.’

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Gospel

John 10: 11-18

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down

his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the

shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf

coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the

wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand

runs away because a hired hand does not care for the

sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and

my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I

know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I

must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this

reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life

in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but

I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it

down, and I have power to take it up again. I have

received this command from my Father.”

Post Communion Prayer

Merciful Father, you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd,

and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again: keep us always

under his protection, and give us grace to follow in his steps; through Jesus

Christ our Lord.

Amen