September 12, 2004. Thursday of the 23rd week in ordinary time.

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

Brothers and sisters, knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.

If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

But if one loves God, one is known by him. So about the eating of meat sacrifice to idols.

We know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. Indeed, even though they are so-called gods

in heaven and on earth, there are, to be sure, many gods and many lords. Yet for us there is one

God, the Father, from whom all things are, and for whom we exist. And one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through

whom we exist. But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to

idolatry up until now that when they eat meat sacrifice to idols, their conscience, which is weak,

is defiled. Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother

for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are,

you are sinning against Christ.

Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again so that I may not cause my brother to sin.

The Word of the Lord

The Responsorial Psalm. The word of the Lord.

The responsorial psalm.

The response is,

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

O Lord, you have proved me and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I stand.

You understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize.

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