A reading from
the Book of Wisdom 13:1-9
All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,/ and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,/ and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;/ But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,/ or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,/ or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods./ Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,/ let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;/ for the original source of beauty fashioned them./ Or if they were struck by their might and energy,/ let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them./ For from the greatness and the beauty of created things/ their original author, by analogy, is seen./ But yet, for these the blame is less;/ For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,/ though they seek God and wish to find him./ For they search busily among his works,/ but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair./ But again, not even these are pardonable./ For if they so far succeeded in knowledge/ that they could speculate about the world,/ how did they not more quickly find its Lord?
The word of the Lord.
