2nd Sunday of Pascha
Thomas Sunday
Acts 5:12-20

A reading - from the Acts of the Holy Apostles

Brothers and sisters: In those days, through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders occurred among the | peo | ple.

By mutual agreement they used to meet in Solomon’s Portico. No one else dared to join them, despite the fact that people held them in great | es | teem.

Nevertheless, more and more believers, men and women in great numbers, were continually added to the Lord. The people carried the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on one or another | of | them.

Crowds from the towns around Jerusalem would gather, too, bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, all of whom | were | cured.

The high priest and all his supporters (that is, the party of Sadducees (Sad-jew-seez)), filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and threw them into the pub | lic | jail.

During the night, however, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the jail, led them forth, and said, “Go out now and take your place in the temple precincts and preach to the people all about this - new - life.”