4.08.2023

 Today's Bible story *

April 8, 2023

Have a good day!

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Holy Saturday
At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

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Gospel : Matthew 28:1-10

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled away the stone from the door and sat on it.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.

5 The angel answered the women, "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you."

8 They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"
They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go tell my brothers * that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me."

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Reading I

Genesis 1:1--2:2

1:1 In the beginning, God* created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light "day", and the darkness he called "night". There was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 God said, "Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

8 God called the expanse "sky". There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9 God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;" and it was so.

10 God called the dry land "earth", and the gathering together of the waters he called "seas". God saw that it was good.

11 God said, "Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;" and it was so.

12 The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;

15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;" and it was so.

16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.

17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,

18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.

19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 God said, "Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky."

21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.

22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 God said, "Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;" and it was so.

25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.

26 God said, "Let's make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

27 God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

29 God said, "Behold,† I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;" and it was so.

31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

2:1 The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished.

2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.

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Reading II

Genesis 22:1-18

1 After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!"
He said, "Here I am."

2 He said, "Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."

3 Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.

5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you."

6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.

7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father?"
He said, "Here I am, my son."
He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

8 Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together.

9 They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.

10 Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.

11 Yahweh's angel called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!"
He said, "Here I am."

12 He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 Abraham called the name of that place "Yahweh Will Provide". As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will be provided."

15 Yahweh's angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,

16 and said, " 'I have sworn by myself,' says Yahweh, 'because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17 that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.

18 All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.' "

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Reading III

Exodus 14:15--15:1

https://ebible.org/web/EXO14.htm

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Reading IV

Isaiah 54:5-14

https://ebible.org/web/ISA54.htm

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Reading V

Isaiah 55:1-11

https://ebible.org/web/ISA55.htm

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Reading VI

Baruch 3:9-15, 32--4:4

https://ebible.org/web/BAR03.htm

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Reading VII

Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28

https://ebible.org/web/EZK36.htm

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Epistle

Romans 6:3-11

https://ebible.org/web/ROM06.htm

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* The World English Bible
http://ebible.org/web/

◇ April 8, 2023 USCCB Daily Mass Readings
https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-april-8-2023

◇ Daily Readings April 8, 2023
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040823.cfm

◇ Abiding Radio Instrumental (BGM)
https://www.abidingradio.org/radio/instrumental

◇ Today's Bible Story
http://todaysbiblestory.seesaa.net/

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