FIRST READING
“Here is water: what prevents me from being baptized? » (Acts 8, 26-40)
Reading the book of Acts of the Apostles
In those days
the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying,
“Go south,
take the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza;
it is deserted. »
And Philippe set off.
Now, an Ethiopian, a eunuch,
high official of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia,
and administrator of all her treasures,
had come to Jerusalem to worship.
He came back, sitting in his chariot,
and reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip:
“Come near and join this chariot. »
Philip began to run,
and he heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah;
then he asked him:
“Do you understand what you are reading? »
The other replied:
“And how can I
if there is no one to guide me? »
So he invited Philippe to come up and sit next to him.
The passage of Scripture he read was this:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter;
like a lamb mute before the shearer,
he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation,
he did not get justice.
Who will talk about his descendants?
For his life is cut off from the earth.
Speaking, the eunuch said to Philip:
“Tell me, I pray you: of whom is the prophet speaking?
From himself, or from someone else? »
Then Philip spoke
and, from this passage of Scripture,
he announced to him the Good News of Jesus.
As they continued their journey,
they came to a place of water,
and the eunuch said:
“Here is water:
what prevents me from being baptized? »
He stopped the chariot,
they both went down into the water,
and Philip baptized the eunuch.
When they came up from the water,
the Spirit of the Lord carried away Philip;
the eunuch no longer saw him,
but continued on his way, very joyful.
Philip found himself in the city of Ashdod,
he announced the Good News
in all the cities he passed through
until he arrived in Caesarea.
– Word of the Lord.
