1st Reading – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people:
“The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

As discussed last week, one of the distinctive features of the Easter season is that we read from the Acts of the Apostles instead of the Old Testament for our first readings, highlighting the transformation that took place within the community of believers following the Resurrection.

Today’s reading is part of an impromptu speech that Peter gave in Jerusalem. Peter has just healed a crippled beggar that he and John encountered on their way to the temple area; the event attracted an astonished crowd. Peter seizes the opportunity to address them with a powerful message about Jesus, emphasizing his resurrection and the need for repentance and conversion. Continue reading “Apr 14, 2024: 3rd Sunday of Easter (B)” →