My Family Prayer Book

 2026-04-05 Easter Vigil (Year B)   Acts 10:34-43 Cornelius was a centurion of roughly 600 volunteer Italian citizens. Stationed in Caesarea, the Roman capital of Judea, he held a position of significant authority and respect. In these verses, the apostle Peter delivers a compelling speech to God-fearer Cornelius and his household, concisely outlining the Christian message about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God-fearer" (phoboumenos ton Theon). This was a specific term for Gentiles who:     Worshipped the God of Israel.     Attended synagogue services.     Followed Jewish moral ethics.     However, they had not undergone circumcision or fully converted to Judaism. The interaction of Cornelius and Peter, sometimes refered to the Gentile Pentecost, involves a "double vision" designed to overcome the deep-seated cultural and religious barriers between Jews and Gentiles.     Cornelius’s Vision: An angel appeared to hi...

   2024-Mar-31: Easter Sunday Acts 10:34-43 The book of Acts is an epic tale of how a small group of Jesus followers develops into “the church.” In a book that describes miracle after miracle and takes its readers on adventure after adventure, it is in these few verses that Peter declares the complete gospel. Jesus of Nazareth was anointed and chosen by God. He received the Holy Spirit and with its power he goes around doing good and healing those who were oppressed. He was put to death, dying on a tree. God raised him on the third day and he appeared to a chosen few. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins. The good news or gospel is simple: it is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  But it is the context of this declaration that is important. Peter begins his homily by saying: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.” If we read this declaration with...