Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

1For truly all men who had no perception of God were foolish by nature,

and didn’t gain power to know him who exists from the good things that are seen.

They didn’t recognize the architect from his works.

2But they thought that either fire, or wind, or swift air,

or circling stars, or raging water, or luminaries of heaven

were gods that rule the world.

3If it was through delight in their beauty that they took them to be gods,

let them know how much better their Sovereign Lord is than these,

for the first author of beauty created them.

4But if it was through astonishment at their power and influence,

then let them understand from them how much more powerful he who formed them is.

5For from the greatness of the beauty of created things,

mankind forms the corresponding perception of their Maker.

6But yet for these men there is but small blame,

for they too perhaps go astray

while they are seeking God and desiring to find him.

7For they diligently search while living among his works,

and they trust their sight that the things that they look at are beautiful.

8But again even they are not to be excused.

9For if they had power to know so much,

that they should be able to explore the world,

how is it that they didn’t find the Sovereign Lord sooner?

1The heavens declare the glory of God.

The expanse shows his handiwork.

2Day after day they pour out speech,

and night after night they display knowledge.

3There is no speech nor language

where their voice is not heard.

4Their voice has gone out through all the earth,

their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

26As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. 30It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. 35There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left.” 36 37They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together.”