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...

  Easter Sunday Acts 10:34a, 37-43 In this passage from Acts, Peter proclaimed the Good News to the household of Cornelius, a Roman centurion who was a righteous Gentile, observant of Jewish practices but a non-convert due to his position/rank in the army. Cornelius did not convert; conversion to Judaism meant resigning his commission in the Army, since military service required offering incense to an image of the Emperor as a sign of allegiance. Offering incense to the Emperor's image was considered to be idolatry to Jews. And the message from the apostles as personal witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus was clear, 'those who believed (regardless of nation, class, color or culture) in Christ (i.e., his "name") would receive the forgiveness that God offered to all.' Psalm 118 Christ is risen, Alleluia! But do we today bear witness “with great power” to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus  Colossians 3:1-4 After the resurrection of Christ believers shoul...