Today’s Readings

After staying in Antioch some time,Paul left and traveled in orderly sequencethrough the Galatian country and Phrygia,bringing strength to all the disciples.

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria,an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus.He was an authority on the Scriptures.He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,although he knew only the baptism of John.He began to speak boldly in the synagogue;but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,they took him asideand explained to him the Way of God more accurately.And when he wanted to cross to Achaia,the brothers encouraged himand wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.After his arrival he gave great assistanceto those who had come to believe through grace.He vigorously refuted the Jews in public,establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.

R.    (8a)  God is king of all the earth.or:R.    Alleluia.All you peoples, clap your hands;shout to God with cries of gladness.For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,is the great king over all the earth.R.    God is king of all the earth.or:R.    Alleluia.For king of all the earth is God;sing hymns of praise.God reigns over the nations,God sits upon his holy throne.R.    God is king of all the earth.or:R.    Alleluia.The princes of the peoples are gathered togetherwith the people of the God of Abraham.For God’s are the guardians of the earth;he is supreme.R.    God is king of all the earth.or:R.    Alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I came from the Father and have come into the world;now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples:“Amen, amen, I say to you,whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.Until now you have not asked anything in my name;ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

“I have told you this in figures of speech.The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figuresbut I will tell you clearly about the Father.On that day you will ask in my name,and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved meand have come to believe that I came from God.I came from the Father and have come into the world.Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,"Do not be afraid.Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.No one will attack and harm you,for I have many people in this city."He settled there for a year and a halfand taught the word of God among them.But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,the Jews rose up together against Pauland brought him to the tribunal, saying,"This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law."When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,"If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titlesand your own law, see to it yourselves.I do not wish to be a judge of such matters."And he drove them away from the tribunal.They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,and beat him in full view of the tribunal.But none of this was of concern to Gallio.Paul remained for quite some time,and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,together with Priscilla and Aquila.At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.or:R. Alleluia.All you peoples, clap your hands,shout to God with cries of gladness,For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,is the great king over all the earth. R. God is king of all the earth.or:R. Alleluia.He brings people under us;nations under our feet.He chooses for us our inheritance,the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.R. God is king of all the earth.or:R. Alleluia.God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.Sing praise to God, sing praise;sing praise to our king, sing praise.R. God is king of all the earth.or:R. Alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,and so enter into his glory.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,while the world rejoices;you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;but when she has given birth to a child,she no longer remembers the pain because of her joythat a child has been born into the world.So you also are now in anguish.But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,and no one will take your joy away from you.On that day you will not question me about anything.Amen, amen, I say to you,whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscillabecause Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.When they opposed him and reviled him,he shook out his garments and said to them,"Your blood be on your heads!I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."So he left there and went to a housebelonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;his house was next to a synagogue.Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lordalong with his entire household, and many of the Corinthianswho heard believed and were baptized.

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.or: R. Alleluia.Sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done wondrous deeds;His right hand has won victory for him,his holy arm.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.or:R. Alleluia.The LORD has made his salvation known:in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulnesstoward the house of Israel.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.or:R. Alleluia.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation by our God.Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;break into song; sing praise.R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.or:R. Alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me,and again a little while later and you will see me."So some of his disciples said to one another,"What does this mean that he is saying to us,'A little while and you will not see me,and again a little while and you will see me,'and 'Because I am going to the Father'?"So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks?We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,"Are you discussing with one another what I said,'A little while and you will not see me,and again a little while and you will see me'?Amen, amen, I say to you,you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."