August 31st, 2003, Thursday of the 21st week in ordinary time.

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

We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters, in our every distress and affliction through your faith.

For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

What Thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account

before our God?

Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy

the deficiencies of your faith. Now may God Himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our

way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you,

so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones.

Amen.

The Word of the Lord.

The responsorial Psalm.

The response is,

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.

You turn man back to dust, saying,

Return, O children of men.

For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.

Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Return, O Lord.

How long?

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