The Readings for Sunday, May 18th, 2014 Easter 5

First Reading: Acts 7:55–60

⁵⁵But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  ⁵⁶Look, he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"  ⁵⁷But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.  ⁵⁸Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.  ⁵⁹While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2–10

²Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation —  ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and  ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For it stands in scripture:

"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious;

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

  ⁷To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

"The stone that the builders rejected

has become the very head of the corner,"

  ⁸and

"A stone that makes them stumble,

and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

  ⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

¹⁰Once you were not a people,

but now you are God's people;

once you had not received mercy,

but now you have received mercy.\

Gospel: John 14:1–14

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.  ²In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.  ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going."  ⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"  ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

⁸Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied."  ⁹Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.  ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.  ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.