1. Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort.
2. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people and prayed to God regularly.
3. About three o’clock one afternoon he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”
4. Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have gone up as a memorial before God.