Daily Bible Readings

November 27, 2011
1st READING

The Prophet Isaiah is aware of the people’s infidelities and unfaithfulness to God, yet he hopes in the goodness and mercy of God to deliver and save them. We see from this text that even repentance and conversion are God’s gifts to us. We are helpless and totally lost without God’s help. We should never lose hope in God for He is our Father who tenderly watches over us, His children, lest we stray too far.

Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
16 You, LORD, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. 17 Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. 19 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you, 64: 2 while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, 3 such as they had not heard of from of old.No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him. 4 Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; 5 all of us have become like unclean men, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind. 6 There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt. 7 Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter we are all the work of your hands.


P S A L M

Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R: Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
2 O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. 3 Rouse your power, and come to save us. (R) 15 Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, 16 and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. (R) 18 May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong. 19 Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. (R)

2nd READING

Paul’s prayers indicates to us that the power for Christian living resides in Jesus Christ. I once read a book by Colin Urquhart called In Christ Jesus.Here I was presented with the challenge, of which St. Paul would be in total agreement, to make the choice to live in and with Christ and not in my own power and according to my own wisdom. It sounds easy and logical, but to practice this every day requires an enormous level of commitment.


1 Corinthians 1:3-9
3 Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, 6 as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


G O S P E L

Advent is a time for us to reassess our lives of discipleship and to make necessary changes. The priests wear purple vestments to symbolize that this is a season of conversion. Am I alert and attentive to the action and voice of the Holy Spirit in my life? Am I growing in love of God and my neighbor? Am I becoming more sensitive or less sensitive to sin in my life? These questions can help us take stock and see how we are advancing in our spiritual walk. Let us use this season of Advent to renew our spiritual vigor and love for God.

ALLELUIA
R: Alleluia, alleluia
Show us, Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.
R: Alleluia, alleluia

Mark 13:33-37
33 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. 35 Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. 36 May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’ ”

my reflections
t h i n k : Let us use this season of Advent to take stock and see how we are advancing in our spiritual walk.

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 Romans 1-4
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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