THE
READINGS
May 8, 2016
FIRST READING: Acts 16:16-34
16One day, as we were
going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of
divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17While
she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the
Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." 18She
kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to
the spirit, "I order you in the name of
Jesus
Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.
19But when her owners saw
that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and
dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20When
they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are
disturbing
our city; they are Jews 21and are advocating customs that are not
lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." 22The crowd
joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their
clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23After they had
given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the
jailer to keep them securely. 24Following these instructions, he put
them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25About midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening
to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the
foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were
opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke
up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill
himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28But
Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all
here." 29The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell
down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside
and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They
answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household." 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all
who were in his house. 33At the same hour of the night he took them
and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without
delay. 34He brought them up into the house and set food before them;
and he and his entire household
rejoiced
that he had become a believer in God.
2
1
3
PSALM: Psalm 97 - please read responsively
1The LORD reigns; let
the earth rejoice;
let the multitude of the isles be
glad.
2Clouds and darkness
surround the LORD,
righteousness and justice are the
foundations of God's throne.
3Fire goes before the
LORD,
burning up enemies on every side.
4Lightnings light up the
world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5The mountains melt like
wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
6The heavens declare
your righteousness, O LORD,
and all the peoples see your
glory.
7Confounded be all who
worship carved images and delight in false gods!
Bow down before the LORD, all you
gods.
8Zion hears and is glad,
and the cities of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O
LORD.
9For you are the LORD,
most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10You who love the LORD,
hate evil!
God guards the lives of the
saints
and rescues them from the hand of
the wicked.
11Light dawns for the
righteous,
and joy for the honest of heart.
12Rejoice in the LORD,
you righteous,
and give thanks to God's holy
name
SECOND READING: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
12See, I am coming soon;
my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. 13I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the
end."
14Blessed are those who
wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may
enter the city by the gates. 16It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to
you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of
David, the bright morning star."
17The Spirit and the
bride say, "Come."
And let everyone who hears say,
"Come."
And let everyone who is thirsty
come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water
of life as a gift."
20The one who testifies
to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
Stand
P: The holy gospel according to St. John, the 17th
chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
GOSPEL: John 17:20-26
[Jesus
prayed:] 20"I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on
behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21that
they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also
be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The
glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we
are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become completely
one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even
as you have loved me. 24Father, I desire that those also, whom you
have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given
me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25Righteous Father, the
world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26I
made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with
which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.