September 4th, 2004, Wednesday of the 22nd week in ordinary time.

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

Brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people as infants in Christ.

I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it.

Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh.

While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,

are you not of the flesh and walking according to the manner of man?

Whenever someone says, I belong to Paul,

and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not merely men?

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?

Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.

Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one,

and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's coworkers. You are God's

field, God's building. The Word of the Lord. The response

song. The response is, Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Blessed the nation

whose God is the Lord,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

From heaven the Lord looks down.

He sees all mankind.

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

From his fixed throne, he beholds all who dwell on the earth.

He who fashioned the heart of each.

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