Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

3And he said: “I am a Jewish man, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, just as all of you also are to this day. 4I persecuted this Way, even unto death, binding and delivering into custody both men and women, 5just as the high priest and all those greater by birth bear witness to me. Having received letters from them to the brothers, I journeyed to Damascus, so that I might lead them bound from there to Jerusalem, so that they might be punished. 6But it happened that, as I was traveling and was approaching Damascus at midday, suddenly from heaven a great light shone around me. 7And falling to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8And I responded, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9And those who were with me, indeed, saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of him who was speaking with me. 10And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Rise up, and go to Damascus. And there, you shall be told all that you must do.’ 11And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions, and I went to Damascus. 12Then a certain Ananias, a man in accord with the law, having the testimony of all the Jews who were living there, 13drawing near to me and standing close by, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see!’ And in that same hour, I looked upon him. 14But he said: ‘The God of our fathers has preordained you, so that you would come to know his will and would see the Just One, and would hear the voice from his mouth. 15For you shall be his witness to all men about those things which you have seen and heard. 16And now, why do you delay? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, by invoking his name.’

1Alleluia. All nations, praise the Lord. All peoples, praise him.

2For his mercy has been confirmed over us. And the truth of the Lord remains for all eternity.

15And he said to them: “Go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. 16Whoever will have believed and been baptized will be saved. Yet truly, whoever will not have believed will be condemned. 17Now these signs will accompany those who believe. In my name, they shall cast out demons. They will speak in new languages. 18They will take up serpents, and, if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them. They shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they will be well.”