New Testament

Peter proceeded to address the people in these words:

“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every

nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You

know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace

through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. He commissioned us to preach

to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of

the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that

everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through

his name.”

The Word of the Lord.

(Romans 5:5-11)

Hope does not disappoint,

because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For Christ, while we were still helpless,

yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,

though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.

But God proves his love for us

in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

How much more then,

since we are now justified by his blood,

will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

how much more, once reconciled,

will we be saved by his life.

Not only that,

but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Word of the Lord.

Brothers and Sisters: 

Are you unaware that we 

who were baptized into Christ Jesus 

were baptized into his death? 

We were indeed buried with him 

through baptism into death, 

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead 

by the glory of the Father, 

we too might live in newness of life. 

For if we have grown into union with him 

through a death like his, 

we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, 

so that our sinful body might be done away with, 

that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. 

For a dead person has been absolved from sin. 

If, then, we have died with Christ, 

we believe that we shall also live with him. 

We know that Christ, 

raised from the dead, dies no more; 

death no longer has power over him. 

The Word of the Lord

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans 

Brothers and Sisters: 

Are you unaware that we 

who were baptized into Christ Jesus 

were baptized into his death? 

We were indeed buried with him 

through baptism into death, 

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead 

by the glory of the Father, 

we too might live in newness of life. 

If, then, we have died with Christ, 

we believe that we shall also live with him. 

We know that Christ, 

raised from the dead, dies no more; 

death no longer has power over him. 

The Word of the Lord

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The word of the Lord.

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord, 

and if we die, we die for the Lord;

so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For this is why Christ died and came to life, 

that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

for it is written:

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, 

and every tongue shall give praise to God." 

So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.

The Word of the Lord

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.  When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as have been fully known. 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Brothers and Sisters: 

Christ has been raised from the dead, 

the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since death came through a human being, 

the resurrection of the dead 

came also through a human being. 

For just as in Adam all die, 

so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 

but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; 

then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 

then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom 

to his God and Father, when he has destroyed 

every sovereignty and every authority and power. 

For he must reign until he has put 

all his enemies under his feet. 

The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 

for “he subjected everything under his feet.” 

But when it says that everything has been subjected, 

it is clear that it excludes 

the one who subjected everything to him. 

When everything is subjected to him, 

then the Son himself will also be subjected 

to the one who subjected everything to him, 

so that God may be all in all. 

The Word of the Lord.

Brothers and Sisters: 

Behold, I tell you a mystery. 

We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 

in an instant, in the blink of an eye, 

at the last trumpet. 

For the trumpet will sound, 

the dead will be raised incorruptible, 

and we shall be changed. 

For that which is corruptible 

must clothe itself with incorruptibility, 

and that which is mortal 

must clothe itself with immortality. 

And when this which is corruptible 

clothes itself with incorruptibility 

and this which is mortal 

clothes itself with immortality, 

then the word that is written shall come about: 

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Where, O death, is your victory? 

Where, O death, is your sting?” 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory 

through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Word of the Lord

Brothers and Sisters: 

We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, 

should be destroyed, we have a building from God, 

a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. 

So we are always courageous, although we know 

that while we are at home in the body 

we are away from the Lord, 

for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Yet we are courageous, 

and we would rather leave the body 

and go home to the Lord. 

Therefore, we aspire to please him, 

whether we are at home or away. 

For we must all appear before 

the judgment seat of Christ, 

so that each one may receive recompense, 

according to what he did in the body, 

whether good or evil. 

The Word of the Lord

Brothers and sisters: 

Our citizenship is in heaven, 

and from it we also await a savior, 

the Lord Jesus Christ. 

He will change our lowly body 

to conform with his glorified body 

by the power that enables him also 

to bring all things into subjection to himself. 

The Word of the Lord

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, 

about those who have fallen asleep, 

so that you may not grieve like the rest, 

who have no hope. 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, 

so too will God, through Jesus, 

bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, 

that we who are alive, who are left 

until the coming of the Lord, 

will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

For the Lord himself, with a word of command, 

with the voice of an archangel 

and with the trumpet of God, 

will come down from heaven, 

and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are alive, who are left, 

will be caught up together with them in the clouds 

to meet the Lord in the air. 

Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

Therefore, console one another with these words. 

The Word of the Lord

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: 

If we have died with him we shall also live with him; 

If we persevere we shall also reign with him. 

But if we deny him he will deny us. 

If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, 

for he cannot deny himself. 

The Word of the Lord

I am already being poured out like a libation,

and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well;

I have finished the race;

I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,

which the Lord,

the just judge,

will award to me on that day;

and not only me,

but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Word of the Lord.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. 

Yet so we are. 

The reason the world does not know us 

is that it did not know him. 

Beloved, we are God’s children now; 

what we shall be has not yet been revealed. 

We do know that when it is revealed 

we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 

Everyone who has this hope based on him 

makes himself pure, as he is pure. 

The Word of the Lord

I, John, heard a voice from heaven say, 

“Write this: Blessed are the dead 

who die in the Lord from now on.” 

“Yes,” said the Spirit, 

“let them find rest from their labors, 

for their works accompany them.” 

The Word of the Lord

I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away." 

The one who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son." 

The Word of the Lord