The Fourth Sunday of Easter is the day that occurs three weeks after the Christian celebration of Easter.

Western Christianity

Tridentine Catholicism (pre-1970)

In the

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, this day was officially known as the Third Sunday after Easter. It was also nicknamed Jubilate Sunday due to the incipit ("Iubilate Deo") of the introit assigned to this day. The full text of the introit in its original Latin was: "Iubilate Deo, omnis terra, allelúia: psalmum dícite nómini eius, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia. Dícite Deo, quam terribília sunt ópera tua, Dómine! in multitúdine virtútis tuæ mentiéntur tibi inimíci tui." This introit is based on (which is now more commonly called Psalm 66 in accord with the Hebrew numbering used in modern Bibles). For a brief period of time (1847–1911), this Sunday was also celebrated as the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. In 1911, this feast day was moved to the following Wednesday, where it remained until it was suppressed altogether in 1955.

Post-Vatican II Catholicism (1970–present)

In the 1970 revision of the '' Roman Missal'', this day was designated the "Fourth Sunday of Easter," and the "Iubilate Deo" introit for this Sunday was swapped with that of the preceding Sunday. The preceding Sunday's Gospel reading was likewise moved forward to this day. Because this Gospel reading is the parable of the

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is now also known as Good Shepherd Sunday (a name formerly given to the Third Sunday of Easter to which the reading was originally assigned). In 1964, Pope Paul VI established a World Day of Prayer for Vocations to coincide with Good Shepherd Sunday, now celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. For this reason, this day is also known in the Catholic Church as Vocations Sunday. The Church of England also celebrates Vocations Sunday on this day.

Lutheranism

Johann Sebastian Bach composed three

church cantata A church cantata or sacred cantata is a cantata intended to be performed during Christian liturgy. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, with many composers writing an extensive output: Stölzel, Telemann, Graupne ...

s for the Lutheran celebration of Jubilate Sunday. These cantatas incorporated the readings traditionally prescribed for this day: the epistle () and the Gospel (). * ''Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen'', BWV 12, April 22, 1714 * ''Ihr werdet weinen und heulen'', BWV 103, April 22, 1725 * ''Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal'', BWV 146, May 12, 1726, or April 18, 1728 In the

Revised Common Lectionary The Revised Common Lectionary is a lectionary of readings or pericopes from the Bible for use in Christian worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. It was preceded by the Common ...

currently used by many Lutherans, the Gospel reading is the

passage.

Eastern Christianity

In the Greek Orthodox Church, this day is called the Fourth Sunday of Holy Pascha, and is also called the Sunday of the Paralytic due to the Gospel passage () read on this day.

References