Quasimodogeniti: As new born babies

 Watchword from the First Epistle of the holy apostle Saint Peter the first chapter verse 3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

 Introit from Psalm 116: The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forever. Amen. Hallelujah!

God’s Holy Word from the prophet Isaiah the fortieth chapter: Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  ²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?  ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (26-31)

The Epistle from the first letter of the apostle St. Peter the first chapter: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you,  ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  ⁷ These have come so that your faith– of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire– may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  ⁹ for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (3-9)

The Holy Gospel according to the apostle and evangelist St. John the twentieth chapter On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  ²³ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  ²⁴ Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”  ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  (19-29)

The Sermon text for this Sunday is from the holy gospel of the evangelist and apostel St. John the twenty-first chapter: After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.  Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. (1-14)

The liturgical colour is white.

Together with the Christian Church we pray a collect for this Sunday “Lord God almighty, every year You renew the face of the earth, and it is Your will to renew the world fallen into sin and death. Grant that we may discern in Your Son the dawning of the true life and in Him share in this new creation; for He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirt, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

Hymn for this Sunday:  He’s risen, He’s risen by C.F.W. Walther

1. He’s risen, he’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
   Death’s prison he opened, incarnate, true Word.
   Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
   While earth, sea, and mountain the praises prolong.
2. The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
   The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
   In Satan’s domain his hosts shouted and jeered,
   For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones feared.
3. But short was their triumph, the Savior arose,
   And death, hell, and Satan he vanquished, his foes;
   The conquering Lord lifts his banner on high.
   He lives, yes, he lives, and will nevermore die.
4. Oh, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
   Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
   For all our transgressions his blood does atone;
   Redeemed and forgiven, we now are his own.
5. Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
   Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
   Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain;
   In glory he reigns, yes, and ever shall reign.

Hymn # 138 from Lutheran Worship 1890

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, enthusiasm and wisdom, knowledge and insight – and the true words and pictures to preach his holy will faithfully according to his most precious revelation of his will and promises in both the Old and New Testament! However if you are not preaching, but listening – then listen as if God is talking to you + His precious gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 NIV)