Support our siblings affected by disaster, hunger and oppression through One Great Hour of Sharing.

Daily Readings For April 21

Please note that two distinct lectionaries are provided on this page: the two-year Daily Lectionary from the Book of Common Worship and the three-year Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for Sundays and festivals; be sure you select the appropriate one.

Daily Readings Sunday/Festival Readings

Daily Readings for Sunday, April 21, 2024


Morning Psalm 93

1   The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;
          the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.
     He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2        your throne is established from of old;
          you are from everlasting.


3   The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
          the floods have lifted up their voice;
          the floods lift up their roaring.
4   More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
          more majestic than the waves of the sea,
          majestic on high is the LORD!


5   Your decrees are very sure;
          holiness befits your house,
          O LORD, forevermore.

Morning Psalm 150

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise God in his sanctuary;
          praise him in his mighty firmament!
2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;
          praise him according to his surpassing greatness!


3   Praise him with trumpet sound;
          praise him with lute and harp!
4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;
          praise him with strings and pipe!
5   Praise him with clanging cymbals;
          praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6   Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Exodus 28:1-4, 30-38

1Then bring near to you your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, to serve me as priests - Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2You shall make sacred vestments for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron. 3And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with skill, that they make Aaron's vestments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4These are the vestments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. When they make these sacred vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests,

30In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the LORD continually.

31You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it may not be torn. 33On its lower hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the lower hem, with bells of gold between them all around - 34a golden bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe. 35Aaron shall wear it when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he may not die.

36You shall make a rosette of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, "Holy to the LORD." 37You shall fasten it on the turban with a blue cord; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall take on himself any guilt incurred in the holy offering that the Israelites consecrate as their sacred donations; it shall always be on his forehead, in order that they may find favor before the LORD.

Second Reading 1 John 2:18-29

18Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. 20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. 27As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

29If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.

Gospel Reading Mark 6:30-44

30The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat." 37But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" 38And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." 39Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42And all ate and were filled; 43and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Evening Psalm 136

1   O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
          for his steadfast love endures forever.
2   O give thanks to the God of gods,
          for his steadfast love endures forever.
3   O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;


4   who alone does great wonders,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
5   who by understanding made the heavens,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
6   who spread out the earth on the waters,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
7   who made the great lights,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
8   the sun to rule over the day,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
9   the moon and stars to rule over the night,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;


10  who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
11  and brought Israel out from among them,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
12   with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
13  who divided the Red Sea in two,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
14  and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
15  but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
16  who led his people through the wilderness,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
17  who struck down great kings,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
18  and killed famous kings,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
19  Sihon, king of the Amorites,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
20  and Og, king of Bashan,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
21  and gave their land as a heritage,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
22  a heritage to his servant Israel,
          for his steadfast love endures forever.


23  It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
24  and rescued us from our foes,
          for his steadfast love endures forever;
25  who gives food to all flesh,
          for his steadfast love endures forever.


26  O give thanks to the God of heaven,
          for his steadfast love endures forever.

Evening Psalm 117

1   Praise the LORD, all you nations!
          Extol him, all you peoples!
2   For great is his steadfast love toward us,
          and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
     Praise the LORD!