Daily Bible Readings

August 21, 2011
1st READING

It is the Lord who appoints those whom He wants to lead over His flock. This is a sacred trust. If a person abuses or fails in his duty, then God may well remove him from that position of trust and authority and give it to someone more worthy. This we see in the case of Shebna who the Lord thrust from office and replaced with Eliakim.

Isaiah 22:15, 19-23
15 Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace: 19 I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. 20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; 21 I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. 23 I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.”

P S A L M

Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8
R: Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple. (R) I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) 6 The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. 8 Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

2nd READING

St. Paul is caught up in a rapturous praise of God whom He sees as so wonderful and far above all human understanding. Often, we think that we know better than God and do not see that God’s wisdom and ways are far above ours. We can only see a very small part of the whole picture and, as a consequence, cannot understand what is happening. Only God sees everything in its entirety.

Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

G O S P E L

Jesus asks His Apostles who do they say He is. This is not just a theoretical question as the answer has a profound impact on how we see Jesus and our relationship with Him. If Jesus is just a good man or a prophet, then He is to be admired but not worshipped. If He is just a holy man, we can imitate Him like we do the other saints, but He cannot save us. Only if Jesus is God can He forgive our sins and reconcile us to His Father.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 16:13-20
13 Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

my reflections
t h i n k : Only God sees everything in its entirety.

God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Isaiah 5-8
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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______________________________________________________________________________ & nbsp;