First Reading, A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles Acts13:14,-43-52

We are now turning to the gentiles.

Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the sabbath and took their seats.

When the meeting broke up, many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Banabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas, and urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.

The next sabbath almos the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealously, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Banabas spoke out boldly, 'We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said: I have made you a light for the nations, so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth'.

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paula and Banabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust fromt their feet in defiance and went off to Iconjum; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

This is the word of the Lord

Second Reading, A Reading from the book of the Apocalypse Apoc 7:9,14-17

The Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water.

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front fo the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said to me, 'These are the people who have been through thte great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes'.

This is the word of the Lord

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John Jn 10:27-30

I give my sheep eternal life.

Jesus said: 'The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will every steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. The Father and i are one'.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.