First Reading

Brothers and sisters:

I am not ashamed of the Gospel.

It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:

for Jew first, and then Greek.

For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;

as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."

The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven

against every impiety and wickedness

of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

For what can be known about God is evident to them,

because God made it evident to them.

Ever since the creation of the world,

his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity

have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.

As a result, they have no excuse;

for although they knew God

they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.

Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,

and their senseless minds were darkened.

While claiming to be wise, they became fools

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God

for the likeness of an image of mortal man

or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

Therefore, God handed them over to impurity

through the lusts of their hearts

for the mutual degradation of their bodies.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie

and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,

who is blessed forever. Amen.