Daily Reading for Thursday, May 4th, 2023

Reading 1, Acts 13:13-25

¹³ Paul and his companions went by sea from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia where John left them to go back to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ The others carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.

¹⁵ After the passages from the Law and the Prophets had been read, the presidents of the synagogue sent them a message, 'Brothers, if you would like to address some words of encouragement to the congregation, please do so.'

¹⁶ Paul stood up, raised his hand for silence and began to speak: 'Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen!

¹⁷ The God of our nation Israel chose our ancestors and made our people great when they were living in Egypt, a land not their own; then by divine power he led them out

¹⁸ and for about forty years took care of them in the desert.

¹⁹ When he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan, he put them in possession of their land

²⁰ for about four hundred and fifty years. After this he gave them judges, down to the prophet Samuel.

²¹ Then they demanded a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years,

²² he deposed him and raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will."

²³ To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour,

²⁴ whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel.

²⁵ Before John ended his course he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; there is someone coming after me whose sandal I am not fit to undo."

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27

² for you have said: love is built to last for ever, you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.

³ 'I have made a covenant with my Chosen One, sworn an oath to my servant David:

²¹ My hand will always be with him, my arm will make him strong.

²² 'No enemy will be able to outwit him, no wicked man overcome him;

²⁵ I shall establish his power over the sea, his dominion over the rivers.

²⁷ So I shall make him my first-born, the highest of earthly kings.

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