Reading I
Acts:11:21b-26; 13:1-3
A great number of them beleved and were converted to the Lord.
News of this eventually reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem,
resulting in Barnabas' being sent to Antioch.
On his arrival he rejoiced to see the evidence of God's favor in their commitment to the Lord,
since he himself was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
Thereby, large numbers were added to the Lord.
Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul;
once he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the church and instructed great numbers.
It was in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians for the first time.
There were in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrach), and Saul.
On one occasion, while they were engaged in the liturgy of the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them:
"Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me to do the work for which I have called them."
Then after they had fasted and prayed, they imposed hands on them and sent them off.