Léctio Epístolæ primæ beáti loannis apóstoli (4,19-5,4)
Carissimi : Nos dilígimus, quóniam ipse prior diléxit nos. Si quis díxerit: “Díligo Deum”, et fratrem suum óderit, mendax est; qui enim non díligit fratrem suum, quem videt, Deum, quem non videt, non potest dilígere. Et hoc mandátum habémus ab eo, ut, qui díligit Deum, díligat et fratrem suum. Omnis, qui credit quóniam Iésus est Christus, ex Deo natus est; et omnis, qui díligit Deum, qui génuit, díligit et eum, qui natus est ex eo. In hoc cognóscimus quóniam dilígimus natos Dei, cum Deum diligámus et mandáta eíus faciámus. Hæc est enim cáritas Dei, ut mandáta eíus servémus; et mandáta eíus grávia non sunt, quóniam omne, quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum; et hæc est victória, quæ vicit mundum: fides nostra.
My dearest: Let us love God, because God first hath loved us. If any man shall say, that I love God; and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, God whom he seeth not, how can he love? And this commandment we have from God: that he which loveth God, love also his brother. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him which begat, loveth him also which was born of him. In this we know that we love the children of God: when as we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy. Because all that is born of God, overcometh the world: And this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith.
