Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Corinthios
1 Cor 13:1-13
Fratres: Si linguis hóminum loquar et Angelórum, caritátem autem non hábeam, factus sum velut æs sonans aut cýmbalum tínniens. Et si habúero prophetíam, et nóverim mystéria ómnia et omnem sciéntiam: et si habúero omnem fidem, ita ut montes tránsferam, caritátem autem non habúero, nihil sum. Et si distribúero in cibos páuperum omnes facultátes meas, et si tradídero corpus meum, ita ut árdeam, caritátem autem non habuero, nihil mihi prodest. Cáritas patiens est, benígna est: cáritas non æmulátur, non agit pérperam, non inflátur, non est ambitiósa, non quærit quæ sua sunt, non irritátur, non cógitat malum, non gaudet super iniquitáte, congáudet autem veritáti: ómnia suffert, ómnia credit, ómnia sperat, ómnia sústinet. Cáritas numquam éxcidit: sive prophétiæ evacuabúntur, sive linguæ cessábunt, sive sciéntia destruétur. Ex parte enim cognóscimus, et ex parte prophetámus. Cum autem vénerit quod perféctum est, evacuábitur quod ex parte est. Cum essem párvulus, loquébar ut párvulus, sapiébam ut párvulus, cogitábam ut párvulus. Quando autem factus sum vir, evacuávi quæ erant párvuli. Vidémus nunc per spéculum in ænígmate: tunc autem fácie ad fáciem. Nunc cognósco ex parte: tunc autem cognóscam, sicut et cógnitus sum. Nunc autem manent fides, spes, cáritas, tria hæc: major autem horum est cáritas.
Lesson from the first letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
1 Cor. 13:1-13
Brethren: If I should speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, yet do not have charity, I am nothing. And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have charity, it profits me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Charity never fails, whereas prophecies will disappear, and tongues will cease, and knowledge will be destroyed. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect has come, that which is imperfect will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away the things of a child. We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I have been known. So there abide faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.