Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 3 : 13 - 24
Chapter 3
| 13 | Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.
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| 14 | We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
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| 15 | Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
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| 16 | By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
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| 17 | But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
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| 18 | My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
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| 19 | And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
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| 20 | For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
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| 21 | Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
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| 22 | And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
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| 23 | And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
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| 24 | Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
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Do not love the world or the things in the world.
The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Amen.
