Daily Bible Readings

August 14, 2011
1st READING
God reveals through the prophet Isaiah, who lived some 600 years before Christ, that God would accept the pagans (non-Jews) into His kingdom. For the Jews, this was a radical idea and something that they found very hard to accept as they saw themselves as the specially chosen people of God. Sometimes we, too, may feel that we are God’s special chosen ones and find it hard to accept that God would also invite into His Kingdom the people that we despise and look down upon.

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
1 Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. 6 The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants — all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, 7 them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

P S A L M

Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
R: O God, let all the nations praise you!
1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 5 [6] May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! 7 [8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)

2nd READING

While acknowledging that he had a special mission to the Gentiles (non- Jews), the Apostle Paul has a deep longing that his own people would also come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He sees that by rejecting the Messiah, the Jews allowed the Gentiles to come into the Kingdom. But eventually the Jews will come to faith and that, Paul says, will herald the second coming of Christ. Let us pray for the Jewish people that they can receive the gift of faith.

Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
13 Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. In as much then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

G O S P E L

In the story of this Canaanite woman, we see an image of what would happen later when St. Peter went and preached to the Gentiles and they came to faith in Jesus. Even though Jesus was not sent by His Father to minister to the Gentiles, He allows this woman to convince Him to grant her request as a way of indicating that the Gospel would be for them as well as for the Jewish people.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 15:21-28
21 At that time, Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23 But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” 24 He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” 28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

my reflections
t h i n k : Sometimes we, too, may feel that we are God’s special chosen ones and find it hard to accept that God would also invite into His Kingdom the people that we despise and look down upon.

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 Wisdom Sirach 21-25

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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