“About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened...” (Acts of the Apostles 16:25.)
In commenting on these verses from today’s First Reading, Saint John Chrysostom writes:
“Who is equal to these souls? After being whipped they received numerous blows and underwent insults and extreme dangers. While fastened in stocks in the innermost cell, they stayed awake not wanting to fall asleep. Do you see how great the affliction of the righteous is? We sleep in soft beds without any fear throughout the night. Maybe they stayed awake because they were in this state. The tyrant sleep did not catch them, pain did not bend them, fear did not make them dispirited, but these things spurred them on even more.” (Catena on the Acts of the Apostles, 16.)
Collect
Grant, almighty and merciful God,
that we in truth receive a share
in the Resurrection of Christ Your Son.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
that we in truth receive a share
in the Resurrection of Christ Your Son.
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen
