Daily Readings

Acts 9: 31- 42

9:31	Certainly, the Church had peace throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and it was being built up, while walking in the fear of the Lord, and it was being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
9:32	Then it happened that Peter, as he traveled around everywhere, came to the saints who were living at Lydda.
9:33	But he found there a certain man, named Aeneas, who was a paralytic, who had lain in bed for eight years.
9:34	And Peter said to him: “Aeneas, the Lord Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and arrange your bed.” And immediately he rose up.
9:35	And all who were living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord.
9:36	Now in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which in translation is called Dorcas. She was filled with the good works and almsgiving that she was accomplishing.
9:37	And it happened that, in those days, she became ill and died. And when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
9:38	Now since Lydda was close to Joppa, the disciples, upon hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, asking him: “Do not be slow in coming to us.”
9:39	Then Peter, rising up, went with them. And when he had arrived, they led him to an upper room. And all the widows were standing around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and garments that Dorcas had made for them.
9:40	And when they had all been sent outside, Peter, kneeling down, prayed. And turning to the body, he said: “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes and, upon seeing Peter, sat up again.
9:41	And offering her his hand, he lifted her up. And when he had called in the saints and the widows, he presented her alive.
9:42	Now this became known throughout all of Joppa. And many believed in the Lord.

John 6: 61- 70

6:61	Therefore, many of his disciples, upon hearing this, said: “This saying is difficult,” and, “Who is able to listen to it?”
6:62	But Jesus, knowing within himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this offend you?
6:63	Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending to where he was before?
6:64	It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh does not offer anything of benefit. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
6:65	But there are some among you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were unbelieving and which one would betray him.
6:66	And so he said, “For this reason, I said to you that no one is able to come to me, unless it has been given to him by my Father.”
6:67	After this, many of his disciples went back, and they no longer walked with him.
6:68	Therefore, Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
6:69	Then Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
6:70	And we have believed, and we recognize that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Reading

The Acts of the Apostles   9: 1-20

9:1	Now Saul, still breathing threats and beatings against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
9:2	and he petitioned him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that, if he found any men or women belonging to this Way, he could lead them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
9:3	And as he made the journey, it happened that he was approaching Damascus. And suddenly, a light from heaven shone around him.
9:4	And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
9:5	And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goad.”
9:6	And he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
9:7	And the Lord said to him, “Rise up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you ought to do.” Now the men who were accompanying him were standing stupefied, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no one.
9:8	Then Saul rose up from the ground. And upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing. So leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.
9:9	And in that place, he was without sight for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.
9:10	Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
9:11	And the Lord said to him: “Rise up and go into the street that is called Straight, and seek, in the house of Judas, the one named Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying.”
9:12	(And Paul saw a man named Ananias entering and imposing hands upon him, so that he might receive his sight.)
9:13	But Ananias responded: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
9:14	And he has authority here from the leaders of the priests to bind all who invoke your name.”
9:15	Then the Lord said to him: “Go, for this one is an instrument chosen by me to convey my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel.
9:16	For I will reveal to him how much he must suffer on behalf of my name.”
9:17	And Ananias departed. And he entered the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, he who appeared to you on the way by which you arrived, sent me so that you would receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
9:18	And immediately, it was as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and he received his sight. And rising up, he was baptized.
9:19	And when he had taken a meal, he was strengthened. Now he was with the disciples who were at Damascus for some days.
9:20	And he was continuously preaching Jesus in the synagogues: that he is the Son of God.

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According to John   6: 52-59

6:52	If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
6:53	Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
6:54	And so, Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.
6:55	Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
6:56	For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
6:57	Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
6:58	Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me.
6:59	This is the bread that descends from heaven. It is not like the manna that your fathers ate, for they died. Whoever eats this bread shall live forever.”

Reading

The Acts of the Apostles    8: 26-40

8:26	Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert.”
8:27	And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
8:28	And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
8:29	Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.”
8:30	And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, “Do you think that you understand what you are reading?”
8:31	And he said, “But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?” And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
8:32	Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
8:33	He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?”
8:34	Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?”
8:35	Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
8:36	And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: “There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?”
8:37	Then Philip said, “If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted.” And he responded by saying, “I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ.”
8:38	And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
8:39	And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
8:40	Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.

Gospel

The Holy Gospel According John    6: 44-51

6:44	No one is able to come to me, unless the Father, who has sent me, has drawn him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
6:45	It has been written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has listened and learned from the Father comes to me.
6:46	Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God; this one has seen the Father.
6:47	Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life.
6:48	I am the bread of life.
6:49	Your fathers ate manna in the desert, and they died.
6:50	This is the bread which descends from heaven, so that if anyone will eat from it, he may not die.
6:51	I am the living bread, who descended from heaven.