Daily Reading for Friday, January 25th, 2013

Reading 1, Acts 22:3-16

³ 'I am a Jew', Paul said, 'and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. It was under Gamaliel that I studied and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you all are today.

⁴ I even persecuted this Way to the death and sent women as well as men to prison in chains

⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify. I even received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, which I took with me when I set off to bring prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.

⁶ 'It happened that I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when in the middle of the day a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me.

⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

⁸ I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting."

⁹ The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me.

¹⁰ I said, "What am I to do, Lord?" The Lord answered, "Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do."

¹¹ Since the light had been so dazzling that I was blind, I got to Damascus only because my companions led me by the hand.

¹² 'Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there,

¹³ came to see me; he stood beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight." Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him.

¹⁴ Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Upright One and hear his own voice speaking,

¹⁵ because you are to be his witness before all humanity, testifying to what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶ And now why delay? Hurry and be baptised and wash away your sins, calling on his name."

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 117:1, 2

¹ Alleluia! Praise Yahweh, all nations, extol him, all peoples,

² for his faithful love is strong and his constancy never-ending.

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