Old/New Testament
Psalm 135[a]
Praise of God, Benefactor of His People
1 [b]Alleluia.
Praise the name of the Lord;
offer him praise, you servants of the Lord,[c]
2 you who minister in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.[d]
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to honor his name, for he is gracious.[e]
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his treasured possession.[f]
5 [g]I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is superior to all gods.[h]
6 The Lord does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and in all their depths.[i]
7 He causes clouds to rise
from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning[j] with the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 [k]He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,[l]
those of humans as well as of animals.
9 He sent signs and portents into your midst, O Egypt,[m]
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
and slew mighty kings:
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.[n]
12 He then gave their lands as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.[o]
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, lasts throughout the ages.[p]
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and show compassion to his servants.[q]
15 [r]The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see.
17 They have ears but they cannot hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them end up like them,
as do all who place their trust in them.
19 [s]O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed from Zion be the Lord,
he who dwells in Jerusalem.
Alleluia.[t]
Psalm 136[u]
Thanksgiving for the Creation and Redemption
1 [v]Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love endures forever.
4 He alone works great wonders,
for his love endures forever.
5 [w]In his wisdom he made the heavens,
for his love endures forever.
6 He spread out the earth upon the waters,[x]
for his love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights,
for his love endures forever.
8 He made the sun to rule over the day,
for his love endures forever.
9 He made the moon and stars to rule the night,
for his love endures forever.
10 [y]He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his love endures forever.
11 He led forth Israel from among them,
for his love endures forever.
12 He did so with a strong hand and outstretched arm,
for his love endures forever.
13 [z]He divided the Red Sea in two,
for his love endures forever.
14 Then he led Israel through its midst,
for his love endures forever.
15 But he swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his love endures forever.
16 [aa]Then he led his people through the wilderness,
for his love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings,
for his love endures forever.
18 He slew powerful kings,
for his love endures forever.
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his love endures forever.
20 Og, king of Bashan,
for his love endures forever.
21 [ab]He gave their land as a heritage,
for his love endures forever.
22 The heritage was for his servant Israel,
for his love endures forever.
23 The Lord remembered us in our wretched state,
for his love endures forever.
24 He rescued us from our enemies,
for his love endures forever.
25 [ac]He provides food to every creature,
for his love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his love endures forever.
The Gifts of the Spirit in the Service of the Church[a]
Chapter 12
Discerning the Gifts of the Spirit. 1 Now in regard to the gifts of the Spirit, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were still pagans you were constantly being enticed and led astray to the worship of mute idols. 3 Therefore, I wish you to understand that no one speaking under the influence of the Spirit of God says, “May Jesus be cursed.”[b] Likewise, no one can say “Jesus is Lord,” except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit Distributes the Gifts for the Common Good.[c] 4 There are different varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different forms of activity, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
7 To each of us, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one, is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom; and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit. 9 Another by the same Spirit is granted faith, while still another is granted the gift of healing by the same Spirit.
10 To one, is granted the gift of mighty deeds;[d] to another, the gift of prophecy; and to yet another, the gift to discern spirits. One receives the gift of tongues and another the ability to interpret them. 11 One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing them individually to each person as he wills.
12 You Are the Body of Christ.[e] The body is one, although it has many parts; and all the parts, though many, form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is one, although it has many parts. 15 If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it nevertheless still belongs to the body. 16 Or if an ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it nevertheless still belongs to the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, how would we be able to hear? If the whole body were an ear, how would we exercise a sense of smell? 18 But God arranged each part in the body as he intended. 19 If all the members were identical, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many members, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” any more than the head can say to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable, 23 and those parts of the body that we regard as less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable parts are treated with greater propriety, 24 whereas our more respectable members have no need of this.
But God has so designed the body as to give greater honor to the more humble parts, 25 in order that there may be no dissension within the body and each part may have equal concern for all the others. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all the members rejoice together with it.
27 You therefore are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it. 28 And those whom God has appointed in the Church are first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then doers of mighty deeds, those who have the gifts of healing, helping others, administering, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all doers of mighty deeds? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Set your hearts on the greater gifts.
Hymn to Love.[f] Now I will show you a more excellent way.
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