Wednesday
of the Seventh Week of Easter
FIRST
READING: Acts 20:28-38
28 Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, keeping in memory, that for three years I ceased not, with tears to admonish every one of you night and day.
32 And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up, and to give an inheritance among all the sanctified.
33 I have not coveted any man's silver, gold, or apparel, as
34 You yourselves know: for such things as were needful for me and them that are with me, these hands have furnished.
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the word of the Lord Jesus, how he said: It is a more blessed thing to give, rather than to receive.
36 And when he had said these things, kneeling down, he prayed with them all.
37 And there was much weeping among them all; and falling on the neck of Paul, they kissed him,
38 Being grieved most of all for the word which he had said, that they should see his face no more. And they brought him on his way to the ship.
PSALM: Psalms 68:29-30, 33-36
29 Command thy strength, O God: confirm, O God, what thou hast wrought in us.
30 From thy temple in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to thee.
33 Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth: sing ye to the Lord: Sing ye to God,
34 Who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east. Behold he will give to his voice the voice of power:
35 Give ye glory to God for Israel, his magnificence, and his power is in the clouds.
36 God is wonderful in his saints: the God of Israel is he who will give power and strength to his people. Blessed be God. thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles.
GOSPEL:
John 17:11-19
11 And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture may be fulfilled.
13 And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil.
16 They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
