13th Week of Pentecost readings Thursday

1 John 2:21-29
I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth. Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming. If you consider that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.

Luke 14:12-15
Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.”

Do we know the truth? Are we able to express the faith we have received in simple words? Do we deny by our words or actions that Jesus is the Son of God who died and was buried that we might have eternal life through his sacred mysteries and through faith?

Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
through hope in your generous promises,
console us in the temptations and difficulties that surround
us here on earth.
By your power keep the vanities of the world away from us
and grant us to walk in the straight path of your commandments that lead us from earth to heaven.
Thus we shall weave crowns of victory
and our joy will be one with that of the saints in the life
of spirit.
We shall unceasingly give you glory,
now and forever.
Amen.