October 26, 2004.

Saturday of the 29th week in ordinary time.

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians.

Brothers and sisters,

grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Therefore, it says,

He ascended on high and took prisoners captive. He gave gifts

to men. What does he ascended mean, except that he also descended into the lower regions of the

earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,

to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of

Christ until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature

manhood to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by

every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful

scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into Him who is the head, Christ,

from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper

functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love.

The Word of the Lord.

The responsorial Psalm, the response is,

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoice because they said to me,

we will go up to the house of the Lord,

...