On the next day their rulers, and elders and scribes
gathered together in Jerusalem.
Annas, the Chief Priest
and Caiaphas,
and John
and Alexander
and others of the Chief Priest’s family,
having set them
in the middle
questioned them:
‘In what power or
in what name
do you do these things?’

Then Peter,
full of the Holy Spirit said to them:

‘Rulers of the people and elders
if we are being questioned
today
about an act of kindness
done to a sick man
by what means this one was healed
let it be known to all of you
and all the people of Israel
that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene
whom you crucified ,
whom God raised from the dead people
by him
this one stands before you
healthy.

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

While they were speaking to the people,
the priests
and the Captain of the Temple
and the Sadducees
confronted them,
greatly annoyed
because they were teaching the people
and preaching about the resurrection from the dead,
in Jesus
And they laid hands on them
and put them in custody
until the next day,
for it was already evening.

But many who heard the word believed
and the number added to the men
was about five thousand.

Lord God,,
you feed us with the living bread from heaven;
you renew our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love.

Teach us to hunger
for Christ who is the true and living bread,
and to live by every word
that comes from your mouth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

And now, sisters/brothers,
I have known that you acted
from ignorance
just as your rulers.
So God
-who had announced beforehand
-through the mouth of all the prophets
-that his Christ would suffer
fulfilled it in this way.
So repent
and turn
for the wiping away of your sins
so that times of refreshment might come
from the presence of the Lord
and so that he might send the appointed one to you,
Christ Jesus.
Whom it was necessary for heaven to receive
until the times of restoration of all things
which God spoke through the mouth of the holy ones
from times long ago
– his prophets –

Moses said that the Lord God will raise for you
a prophet from your brothers
like me.
Listen to him
in everything he says to you. ¹

And every person who does not obey that prophet
will be cut off from the people.²

And all the prophets from Samuel and those who came after him
have spoken and announced these days.

You are sons of the prophets
and of the covenant
which God made with your ancestors saying to Abram
And in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.³

God raised up his servant
and sent him to you first
to bless you by turning each away from your evil.

1. Deut18:15 ↩︎
2. Lev 23:29 ↩︎
3. Genesis 22:18 ↩︎

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.
Alcuin

As he was hanging on to Peter and John,
all the people ran together to them,
in the Portico called after Solomon –
utterly amazed.

When Peter saw (this)
he responded the people:

‘Fellow Israelites,
who do you marvel at this,
or why do you stare at us
as if by our own power or godliness
we made him walk?

The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
the god of our fathers
glorified his servant, Jesus,
whom you all handed over,
and you denied
before Pilate,
though he had decided
to release him.

You denied the Holy One and Righteous One
and you asked for a murderer to be given to you.

You killed the ‘leader to life’
whom God raised from the dead people,
of which we are witnesses.

And, on the basis of faith upon his name –
that name has made this man strong
whom you know see and know
– the faith
which comes through him (Jesus)
gave him
perfect health
in front of you all.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

So Peter and John were going up into the Temple courts
at the hour of prayer,
the ninth hour. ¹
And a certain lame man,
– (lame) from his mother’s womb
used to be carried up,
– whom was put there,
every day
by the gate of the Temple,
which is called ‘Beautiful’
to beg alms
from those entering into the Temple courts.
– who seeing Peter and John
about to enter into the Temple courts
began to ask them for alms.

Then Peter looked directly at him
– with John –
and said:
‘Look at us!’
So he looked at them,
expecting to receive something from them.
Then Peter said:
‘Silver and gold?
– I don’t have any.
But what I do have ,
this I give to you.
In the name of Jesus the Nazarene
[get up and] walk!’

And he took hold of him with his right hand
and he raised him up.
And at once
his feet and ankles
were made strong.
And he jumped up
and he stood
and walked
and went with them
into the Temple courts,
walking
and leaping
and praising God.

And all the people saw him
walking
and praising God.

They recognised him
as the one who used to sit
to beg alms
at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple
and they were filled with wonder
and amazement
at what had happened to him.

1. Three O’clock ↩︎

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

So they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles
-and to the fellowship
and to the breaking of bread
-and to the prayers.

Fear was coming upon every soul,
both many wonders, and also signs
were done
through the apostles.
And all those who had come to believe
were together
and held everything in common.
And they were selling property and possessions
and distributing them to everyone
as anyone had need.
Every day
they devoted themselves to meeting
in the temple courts
and
breaking bread from house to house
sharing in food
with glad and generous hearts
praising God
and having the good will of the whole people
And the Lord was adding
to those being saved daily
to their group.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin (735-804)

Having heard (this),
they were cut to the heart
and they said to Peter and the other apostles:
‘What should we do,
brothers?’

So Peter (said to them):
‘Repent
and be baptised
each of you
in the name of Jesus Christ/Messiah
for the forgiveness of your sins
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you all
and your children
and all who are far off,
who call to the Lord, our God .

And with many other words
he was warning and encouraging them saying:
‘Be saved from this crooked generation’
So those who accepted his message
were baptised
and on that day
about three thousand (people) were added.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

Therefore
being a prophet
and knowing that
by an oath
God had promised him
that a descendent would sit on his throne
seeing (this) in advance he spoke
about the resurrection of Christ,
that he was neither abandoned to Hades
nor did he see his flesh decay
This Jesus God raised,
– we are all witnesses of it.
So exalted to the right hand of God,
having received the promise of the Holy Spirit
from the Father
he has poured out what you see and hear.
For David did not go up into the heavens,
be he himself says:
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
until I put all enemies under your feet.
So for certain let the house of Israel know that
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

For David says about him (Jesus):
I saw before me the Lord always
for he is at my right hand lest I will be shaken.
Therefore my heart was gladdened and my tongue was joyful,
yet my flesh will live in hope
for you will not abandon my soul to Hades
nor will you let your holy one see decay
You have made known to me the paths of life
with your presence, you will fill me with gladness.

Brothers/sisters, it is fitting to speak,
with boldness
to you
about the patriarch David-
that he died and has been buried
and his tomb is with us
until this day.

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

‘Fellows, Israelites,
listen to these words:
-Jesus the Nazarene
–a man marked out by God to you
—through whom God did
—works of power and wonders and signs
—-amongst you
—–as you yourselves know,
-this one
–who by the decided will
–and foreknowledge of God
-was handed over
—and by the hands of lawless people
– (you) having crucified
-you killed,
-whom God raised up
–having freed him from the pains of death
–because it was not possible for him to be grasped by it.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm