A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and Sisters:

If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, 

     how can some among you say 

     there is no resurrection of the dead? 

If there is no resurrection of the dead, 

     then neither has Christ been raised.

And if Christ has not been raised, 

     then empty too is our preaching;    

     empty, too, your faith. 

Then we are also false witnesses to God, because 

     we testified against God that he raised Christ, 

     whom he did not raise if in fact 

     the dead are not raised. 

For if the dead are not raised, 

     neither has Christ been raised, 

     and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;

     you are still in your sins. 

Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ 

     have perished. 

If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, 

     we are the most pitiable people of all. 

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, 

     the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The Word of the Lord