August 27, 2004, Memorial of St. Monica.

A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians.

We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your mind suddenly, or to be

alarmed either by a spirit or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the

effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way. To this end,

he has also called you through our gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you

were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. May our Lord Jesus Christ

himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good

hope through His grace, encourage your hearts, and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

The Word of the Lord.

The Responsorial Psalm.

The response is,

The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Say among the nations, the Lord is king.

He has made the world firm not to be moved. He governs the peoples with equity.

The Lord comes to judge the earth. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice. Let the sea and what fills it resound.

Let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.

Then shall all the trees of the forest exalt. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples

with his constancy. The Lord comes to judge the earth. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

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