September 12, 2003, Tuesday of the 23rd week in ordinary time.

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

Brothers and sisters, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him, and established in the faith as

you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivate you with an empty,

seductive philosophy, according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world,

and not according to Christ. For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,

and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him, you were also

circumcised, with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body,

with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised

with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were

dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him,

having forgiven us all our transgressions, obliterating the bond against us with its legal claims,

which was opposed to us. He also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross. Dispoiling

the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away

and triumph by it. The Word of the Lord. The responsorial Psalm.

The response is,

The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

I will extol you, oh my God and king,

and I will bless your name forever and ever.

Every day will I bless you,

and I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name for ever and ever.

The Lord is compassionate toward all his works. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,

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