Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Acts 22,22-29

So far they had listened to him, but at these words they began to shout, 'Rid the earth of the man! He is not fit to live!' They were yelling, waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air, and so the tribune had him brought into the fortress and ordered him to be examined under the lash, to find out the reason for the outcry against him. But when they had strapped him down Paul said to the centurion on duty, 'Is it legal for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been brought to trial?' When he heard this the centurion went and told the tribune; 'Do you realise what you are doing?' he said. 'This man is a Roman citizen.' So the tribune came and asked him, 'Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?' Paul answered 'Yes'. To this the tribune replied, 'It cost me a large sum to acquire this citizenship.' 'But I was born to it,' said Paul. Then those who were about to examine him hurriedly withdrew, and the tribune himself was alarmed when he realised that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The crowd jeered Paul at the end of his speech and demanded that he be executed. Despite his powerful witness, he was not able to convince the crowd. Paul is interrupted when he reminds them of the task he received of announcing the Gospel to the pagan world. In all likelihood, this statement did not cause great scandal, since even Judaism made [or sought] proselytes, that is, converts who came from the pagan world. The problem arose from the fact that Paul thus declared the Law superseded. The reaction of the crowd was violent, they screamed, tore their garments, and threw dust in the air. The tribune, unwittingly repeating the scene in the Praetorium between Pilate and Jesus, in order to unburden himself of Paul, has him flogged. It was then common to employ scourging to force a confession. At this point Paul, in order to avoid the scourging, declares that he is a Roman citizen. At this everyone becomes alarmed, and the soldiers are seized with fear. A Roman citizen could neither be bound nor much less scourged without due process. Paul shows himself to be not only a perfect Jew but also a Roman in the full sense of the term. While the tribune had had to buy citizenship at a high price, Paul on the other hand is a Roman by birth. The soldiers at this point immediately back away from Paul, and the tribune is gripped with fright because he has violated the law by binding a Roman citizen. Perhaps Paul has yet to become aware of it, but he has thus laid the foundation for preaching the faith in Rome, the capital of the empire. The apostle will reach it as a prisoner, but the chains he had on his feet and hands will not hinder him from witnessing to the Gospel to the point of shedding blood. The Gospel and its proclamation are, for Paul, more precious than his own life.