First Reading

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:1-10

In those days, Paul went down to Derbe and then to Lystra. There was a disciple there named Timothy, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish Christian mother. Timothy was highly regarded by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to take him along with him, and so he circumcised him on account of the Jews in those regions, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem. Thus the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers day after day.

They crossed through Phrygia and Galatia, because they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, «Come over to Macedonia and help us.»

When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Gospel to them.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint John 

John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: «If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.»