1. Once when Peter and John were going up to the Temple at three in the afternoon, the hour for prayer,

2. a man crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day they would bring him and put him at the temple gate called "Beautiful"; there he begged from those who entered the Temple.

3. When he saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple, he asked for alms.

4. Then Peter with John at his side looked straight at him and said, "Look at us."

5. So he looked at them, expecting to receive something from them.

6. But Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!"

7. Then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up. At once his feet and ankles became firm,

8. and jumping up he stood on his feet and began to walk. And he went with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God.

9. All the people saw him walking and praising God;

10. they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were all astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.

11. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, struck with astonishment, came running to them in Solomon's Porch, as it was called.

12. When Peter saw the people, he said to them, "Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if it was by some power or holiness of our own that we made this man walk?

13. The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release him.

14. You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murderer be released to you.

15. You killed the Master of life, but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this.

16. It is his Name, and faith in his Name, that has healed this man whom you see and recognize. The faith which comes through Jesus has given him wholeness in the presence of all of you.

17. Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders.

18. God has fulfilled in this way what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.

19. Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out

20. and the time of refreshment may come by the mercy of God, when he sends the Messiah appointed for you, Jesus.

21. For he must remain in heaven until the time of the universal restoration which God spoke of long ago through his holy prophets.

22. Moses foretold this when he said: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to him in all that he says to you.

23. Whoever does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from among his people.

24. In fact, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, have announced the events of these days.

25. You are the children of the prophets and heirs of the covenant which God gave to your ancestors when he said to Abraham: All the families of the earth will be blessed through your descendant.

26. It is to you first that God sends his Servant; he raised him to life to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."





“Para que se preocupar com o caminho pelo qual Jesus quer que você chegue à pátria celeste – pelo deserto ou pelo campo – quando tanto por um como por outro se chegará da mesma forma à beatitude eterna?” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina