First Reading

Beloved:

Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk

so that through it you may grow into salvation,

for you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

and, like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You are

a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people of his own,

so that you may announce the praises

of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were

no people

but now you are God’s people;

you

had not received mercy

but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners

to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,

so that if they speak of you as evildoers,

they may observe your good works

and glorify God on the day of visitation.