Remigius of Rheims

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

Do not learn the way of the nations,
or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens;
for the nations are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the peoples are false:

a tree from the forest is cut down,
and worked with an axe by the hands of an artisan;

people deck it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
nor is it in them to do good.

There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.

Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For that is your due;

among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is no one like you.

They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction given by idols
is no better than wood!

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.

They are the work of the artisan and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is blue and purple;
they are all the product of skilled workers.

But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Thus shall you say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.

13 O Lord, your Name is everlasting; *
your renown, O Lord, endures from age to age.

14 For the Lord gives his people justice *
and shows compassion to his servants.

15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.

16 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; *
eyes have they, but they cannot see.

17 They have ears, but they cannot hear; *
neither is there any breath in their mouth.

18 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; *
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord.

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; *
you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, *
who dwells in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”