The Daily Lectionary for Saturday, April 15, 2023 — Easter Saturday

 

The Daily Lectionary
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Easter Saturday
Psalm 16; Song of Songs 8:6-7; John 20:11-20
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 16
Fullness of joy
Conserva me, Domine

1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
    I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
      my good above all other.”

2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
    upon those who are noble among the people.

3 But those who run after other gods *
    shall have their troubles multiplied.

4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
    nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; *
    it is you who uphold my lot.

6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
    indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *
    my heart teaches me, night after night.

8 I have set the LORD always before me; *
    because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
    my body also shall rest in hope.

10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
     nor let your holy one see the Pit.

11 You will show me the path of life; *
     in your presence there is fullness of joy,
       and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Heavenly Father, because You have revealed Yourself truly to us in the Bible, we know that we can come to You for protection and refuge. We do look with favor, even as You do, upon those who strive to live holy in Your name. We pray that You would defend them and all who seek to live wholly for You, even at the risk of their lives or livelihood. Even as those who worship false gods come to sorrow, we pray that You would keep us from depending upon the things of this world instead of trusting completely in You. Bless this hour of worship as we begin by praying the prayer that Jesus taught us:

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Song of Songs 8:6-7
Love is strong as death

She

8:6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
     like a seal on your arm;
  for love is as strong as death,
     its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
  It burns like blazing fire,
     like a mighty flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
     rivers cannot sweep it away.
  If one were to give
     all the wealth of one’s house for love,
     it would be utterly scorned.

John 20:11-20
The witness of Mary Magdalene

20:11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for Saturday, April 15, 2023
Easter Saturday
Psalm 16; Song of Songs 8:6-7; John 20:11-20