FIRST LECTURE "He who knew no sin, God has identified him with sin for us" (2 Cor 5, 14-21) Reading of the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

 JUNE 17, 2023

 Saturday, of the Feria, 10th Week of Ordinary Time — Odd Year

Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memory

FIRST LECTURE

"He who knew no sin, God has identified him with sin for us" (2 Cor 5, 14-21)

Reading of the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

Brethren,

    the love of Christ seizes us

when we think that one died for all,

and thus all passed through death.

    For Christ died for all,

so that the living would no longer have their lives centered on themselves,

but on him, who died and rose again for them.

    Henceforth we no longer look at anyone

in a simply human way:

if we knew Christ in this way,

now we no longer know him in this way.

    If therefore anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creature.

The old world is gone,

a new world is already born

    All this comes from God:

he has reconciled us to himself through Christ,

and he has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

    For it is indeed God

who, in Christ, reconciled the world to himself:

he did not take faults into account,

and he placed in us the word of reconciliation.

    We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,

and through us it is God himself who launches an appeal:

we ask it in the name of Christ,

let yourselves be reconciled with God.

    He who knew no sin,

God identified him with sin for us,

so that in him we might become righteous

with the very justice of God.

            – Word of the Lord.