Thursday, May 2, 2024
Liturgical Season: 
VII The Season of Sleebo
Special Significance: 
Mar Athanasios of Alexandria

2 Cor 6:1-10

The Experience of the Ministry. 1* Working together,a then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.* 2For he says:

“In an acceptable time* I heard you,

and on the day of salvation I helped you.”b

Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3c We cause no one to stumble* in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; 4* on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance,* in afflictions, hardships, constraints,d 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts;e 6* by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in a holy spirit, in unfeigned love,f 7in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;g 8through glory and dishonor, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;* 9as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death;h 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.i

Jn 8:12-20

The Light of the World.* 12Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”f 13So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified.” 14Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,* because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.g 15You judge by appearances,* but I do not judge anyone.h 16And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me.i 17Even in your law* it is written that the testimony of two men can be verified.j 18I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.”k 19So they said to him, “Where is your father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”l 20He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.m