Bible Readings - May 14, 2025

Reading I

Acts 12:1-11

About that time King Herod laid hands upon some

members of the church to harm them.

He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,

and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews

he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (It was [the] feast

of Unleavened Bread.)

He had him taken into custody and put in prison

under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.

He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church

was fervently being made to God on his behalf.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,

Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between

two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.

Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone

in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,

"Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists.

The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”

He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”

So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening

through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard, then the second,

and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,

which opened for them by itself. They emerged

and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter recovered his senses and said,

“Now I know for certain that [the] Lord sent his angel

and rescued me from the hand of Herod

and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

Psalm 113:1-8

Praise, you servants of the LORD,

praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD

both now and forever.

From the rising to the setting of the sun

is the name of the LORD to be praised.

High above all nations is the LORD;

above the heavens is his glory.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high

and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

He raises up the lowly from the dust;

from the dunghill he lifts up the poor

To seat them with princes,

with the princes of his own people.

Gospel

John 12:20-36

Now there were some Greeks among those who had come up

to worship at the feast.

They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee,

and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,

it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world

will preserve it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.

The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’?

But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.

Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it

and will glorify it again.”

The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “

An angel has spoken to him.”

Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.

Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world

will be driven out.

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?

Who is this Son of Man?”

Jesus said to them, “The light will be among you only a little while.

Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you.

Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.

While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become

children of the light.”