When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, "We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

If to anyone the tumult of the flesh has fallen silent; if the images of earth, water, and air are quiescent; if the heavens themselves are shut out and the very soul itself is making no sound and is surpassing itself by no longer thinking about itself; if all dreams and visions in the imagination are excluded; if all language and every sign and everything transitory is silent – for if anyone could hear them, this is what all of them would be saying: “We did not make ourselves, we were made by him who abides for eternity” (Ps 100[99],3.5) – if after this declaration they were to keep silence, having directed our ears to him that made them, then he alone would speak not through them bu through himself. We would hear his word, not through the tongue of flesh, nor through the voice of an angel, nor through the sound of thunder (Ex 19,16), nor through the obscurity of a symbolic utterance. Him whom in these things we love we would hear in person without their mediation... and in a flash of mental energy attain the eternal wisdom which abides beyond all things... Is not this the meaning of: “Enter into the joy of your Lord”? (Mt 25,21).

The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life." When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, "We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. Then someone came in and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people." Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

O Splendor of God's glory bright, O Thou that bringest light from light, O Light of Light, light's living spring, O Day, all days illumining. O Thou, true Sun, on us Thy glance Let fall Thy royal radiance, The Spirit's sanctifying beam Upon our earthly senses stream. The Father, too, our prayers implore, Father of glory evermore, The Father of all grace and might, To banish sin from our delight: To guide whate'er we nobly do, With love all envy to subdue, To make ill-fortune turn to fair, And give us grace our wrongs to bear. Our mind be in his keeping placed, Our body true to Him and chaste, Where only faith her fire shall feed And burn the tares of Satan's seed. And Christ to us for food shall be, From Him our drink that welleth free, The Spirit's wine that maketh whole And mocking not, exalts the soul. Rejoicing may this day go hence, Like virgin dawn our innocence, Like fiery noon our faith appear, Nor know the gloom of twilight drear. Morn in her rosy car is borne; Let Him come forth our perfect Morn, The Word in God the Father one, The Father perfect in the Son.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated "son of encouragement"), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed; robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. And he has made the world firm, your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD. Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed: holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?" Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

"Come! Come! Come!" I come, I come, I come to you, most loving Jesus, whom I have loved, whom I have sought, whom I have desired. Because of your gentleness, loving-kindness, and charity, loving you with all my heart, with all my soul, and all my strength, I follow you who call me. Put me not to confusion but deal with me according to your gentleness and according to the multitude of your mercies. Then, Lord, give to me who implore you for help and yearn to be emboldened by the sacrament of your blessing, the defense and direction of your protection (…). Let there be in me, through the gift of your Spirit, prudent modesty, wise graciousness, grave leniency, chaste freedom. Let me be fervent in charity, let me cherish nothing apart from you, let me live praiseworthily without striving for praise. Let me glorify you in holiness of body and purity of soul. With love let me cherish you; with love let me serve you. Be you my honor, you my joy, you my voluptuousness, you my consolation in sorrow, you my counsel uncertainty, you my defense in injustice, my patience in tribulation, my abundance in poverty, my food in fasting, my sleep in wakefulness, my remedy in weakness. Let me have everything in you, whom I earnestly strive to love above everything.