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Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Prayer for the Morning

Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Help us do today the things that matter, not to waste the time we have.

Yes, the moments we have are precious, Lord, see that we count them dear. Teach us to number our days aright. Fill us this day with your kindness, that we may be glad and rejoice all the days of our life. Through Christ I pray,

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Blessing

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, this day and evermore.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Psalm 66:5-7

Acts 5:12a,17-22,25-29

The Apostles Are Arrested

Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life." When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported. Then someone arrived and announced, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

Notes on the Scripture

We should not underestimate how frightening this time was for the Apostles. Peter, remember, had denied any connection between himself and Christ three times, prior to the crucifixion. Israel, and especially Jerusalem (which was under the control of the more fundamentalist Sadducees), punished heretics with long and excruciating executions.

But the world had been changed forever by two events. First, the Holy Spirit had come with great force to the Apostles; and secondly, the resurrected Christ had shown himself to them. God's second covenant with humanity had been sealed and the Apostles, convinced of Christ's truth beyond any doubt, had become fully willing to endure whatever other men might do to them.

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