Thursday, week 23 in Ordinary Time

Brothers,
    knowledge makes one proud,
while love builds up.
    If someone thinks they have come to know something,
they have not yet come to know as they ought;
    but if anyone loves God,
that person is truly known by him.
    So, as to eating meat offered to idols,
can we do so?
We know that, in the world, an idol is nothing at all;
there is no god but the one God.
    Indeed, although there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
– and there are many “gods” and “lords” –,
    for us, however,
there is only one God, the Father,
from whom all things come and for whom we exist;
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things come and through whom we exist.
    But not everyone possesses this knowledge:
some, accustomed until now to idols,
think they are worshiping idols
when eating this meat,
and their conscience, which is weak,
is thus defiled.
    If one of them sees you, you who possess this knowledge,
sitting at table in an idol's temple,
won't this person with the weak conscience
be encouraged to eat
the meat offered to idols?
    And the knowledge you have is causing the weak one to perish,
this brother for whom Christ died.
    Thus, by sinning against your brothers,
and by wounding their conscience which is weak,
you are sinning against Christ himself.
    Therefore, if food
makes my brother stumble,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I will not make my brother stumble.

        – The word of the Lord.

You search me, Lord, and you know me!
You know when I sit, when I stand;
from far away, you discern my thoughts.
Whether I walk or lie down, you see,
all my ways are known to you.

It is you who formed my inmost being,
who knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I acknowledge before you the wonder,
the amazing being that I am.

Search me, my God, you will know my thought;
test me, you will know my heart.
See if I follow the path of idols,
and lead me on the way everlasting.

At that time,
Jesus said to his disciples:
    “I say to you who hear me:
Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you.
    Bless those who curse you,
pray for those who slander you.
    If someone strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other cheek as well.
If someone takes your cloak,
do not withhold your tunic.
    Give to anyone who asks of you,
and if someone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.
    What you want others to do for you,
do it also for them.
    If you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
    If you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do as much.
    If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
in order to get back as much.
    But rather, love your enemies,
do good and lend expecting nothing in return.
Then your reward will be great,
and you will be children of the Most High,
because he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
    Be merciful
as your Father is merciful.
    Do not judge, and you will not be judged;
do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
    Give, and it will be given to you:
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, overflowing,
will be poured into the fold of your garment;
for the measure you use for others
will be used for you as well.”

        – Let us acclaim the Word of God.