September 19, 2004, Thursday of the 24th week in ordinary time.

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

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you,

which you indeed received and in which you also stand.

Through it, you are also being saved. If you hold fast to the word I preached to you,

unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you, as of first importance, what I also received.

That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

that he appeared to Seifis, then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at

once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that, he appeared to James,

then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me, for I am the

least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.

But, by the grace of God, I am what I I am and his grace to me has not been ineffective indeed

I have toiled harder than all of them not I however but the grace of God that is with me

therefore whether it be I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.

The Word of the Lord. The Responsorial Psalm. The response is,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.

Let the House of Israel say, His mercy endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

The right hand of the Lord is exalted.

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