| First Reading |
|---|
| Exodus 14:15-15:1 © |
The
Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me so? Tell the sons of Israel
to march on. For yourself, raise your staff and stretch out your hand
over the sea and part it for the sons of Israel to walk through the sea
on dry ground. I for my part will make the heart of the Egyptians so
stubborn that they will follow them. So shall I win myself glory at the
expense of Pharaoh, of all his army, his chariots, his horsemen. And
when I have won glory for myself, at the expense of Pharaoh and his
chariots and his army, the Egyptians will learn that I am the Lord.’
Then the angel of God, who marched at the front of the
army of Israel, changed station and moved to their rear. The pillar of
cloud changed station from the front to the rear of them, and remained
there. It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel.
The cloud was dark, and the night passed without the armies drawing any
closer the whole night long.
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord
drove back the sea with a strong easterly wind all night, and he made
dry land of the sea. The waters parted and the sons of Israel went on
dry ground right into the sea, walls of water to right and to left of
them. The Egyptians gave chase: after them they went, right into the
sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army
of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and of cloud, and threw the
army into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could
scarcely make headway. ‘Let us flee from the Israelites,’ the Egyptians
cried. ‘The Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians!’
‘Stretch out your hand over the sea,’ the Lord said to
Moses, ‘that the waters may flow back on the Egyptians and their
chariots and their horsemen.’
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, as day
broke, the sea returned to its bed. The fleeing Egyptians marched right
into it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the very middle of the
sea. The returning waters overwhelmed the chariots and the horsemen of
Pharaoh’s whole army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea;
not a single one of them was left. But the sons of Israel had marched
through the sea on dry ground, walls of water to right and to left of
them.
That day, the Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians,
and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. Israel witnessed
the great act that the Lord had performed against the Egyptians, and the
people venerated the Lord; they put their faith in the Lord and in
Moses, his servant.
It was then that Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song in honour of the Lord:
| Second Reading |
|---|
| Ezekiel 36:16-28 © |
The
word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, the
members of the House of Israel used to live in their own land, but they
defiled it by their conduct and actions; to me their conduct was as
unclean as a woman’s menstruation. I then discharged my fury at them
because of the blood they shed in their land and the idols with which
they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them
in foreign countries. I sentenced them as their conduct and actions
deserved. And now they have profaned my holy name among the nations
where they have gone, so that people say of them, “These are the people
of the Lord; they have been exiled from his land.” But I have been
concerned about my holy name, which the House of Israel has profaned
among the nations where they have gone. And so, say to the House of
Israel, “The Lord says this: I am not doing this for your sake, House of
Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among
the nations where you have gone. I mean to display the holiness of my
great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have
profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord–it is
the Lord who speaks– when I display my holiness for your sake before
their eyes. Then I am going to take you from among the nations and
gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home
to your own land. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be
cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols.
I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall
remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh
instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and
sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave
your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.
| Third Reading | Romans 6:3-11 © |
|---|
When
we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in
other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and
joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the
Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we
shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our
former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body
and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a Christian dies, of
course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall
return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the
dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When
he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with
God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin
but alive for God in Christ Jesus.
| Fourth Reading | Matthew 28:1-10 © |
|---|
After
the sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week, Mary of
Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And all at once
there was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord, descending
from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. His face was
like lightning, his robe white as snow. The guards were so shaken, so
frightened of him, that they were like dead men. But the angel spoke;
and he said to the women, ‘There is no need for you to be afraid. I know
you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he
has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay,
then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from the dead and
now he is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him.”
Now I have told you.’ Filled with awe and great joy the women came
quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.
And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings’
he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him,
clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and
tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me
there.’
| Hymn | Te Deum |
|---|
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”
The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.
– Father of immeasurable majesty,
– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,
– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
You, Christ:
– You are the king of glory.
– You are the Father’s eternal Son.
– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.
– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.
– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.
– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.
And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted:
Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.
Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.
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