A reading from the second letter of Peter.

This point must not be overlooked, dear friends. In the eyes of the Most High, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years are as a day. God does not delay in keeping the promise, though some call it “delay.” Rather, God shows you generous patience; desiring that no one perish, but all to come to repentance. The day of Our God will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will vanish with a roar; the elements will catch fire and fall apart, and the earth and all its works will be destroyed in the flames.

Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what holy and devoted lives you should lead. Look for the coming of the Day of our God, and try to hasten it along. Because of it, the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze. What we await are new heavens and a new earth where, according to the promise, God’s justice will reside. So beloved, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found at peace, and without stain or defilement in God’s Sight. Think of Our God’s patience as your opportunity for salvation.

The Word of God recorded in the second letter of Peter.