We have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers.

If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.

This has taught us love – that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.