April 4th, 2004, Thursday in the octave of Easter.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried

in amazement toward them in the portico called Solomon's portico.

When Peter saw this, he addressed the people.

You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this?

And why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,

the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you

handed over and denied in Pilate's presence when he had decided to release him.

You denied the Holy and righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you, the author

of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead, of this we are witnesses.

And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,

and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance just as your leaders did.

But God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets that His Christ would suffer.

Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,

and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment

and send you the Christ already appointed for you,

Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration,

of which God spoke through the mouth of his

holy prophets from of old.

...