1ST READING
Ezra
is ashamed of his sins and the sins of the People of God. We should be
exactly the same. Then we should do something about it personally, such
as stopping the sins in our lives. It is too easy to find fault with
others and to blame them for our problems. Let us, instead, take hold of
our lives and begin the journey towards salvation with the first steps
of faith and trust in Jesus.
Ezra 9:5-9
5 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the Lord, my God. 6 I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. 7 From the time of our fathers even to this day great has
been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we
and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign
lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is
the case today. 8 “And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to
us from the Lord our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in
his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief
in our servitude. 9 For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned
us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”
P S A L M
Tobit 13:2, 3-4, 6, 6, 7-8
R: Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
2 He scourges and then has mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether world, and He brings up from the great abyss. No one can escape His hand. (R) 3 Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them, 4 he has shown you his greatness even there. (R) 6 So
now consider what he has done for you, and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. (R) In the land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation. (R) 7 Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones, and may all of you praise his majesty. 8 Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise. (R)
GOSPEL
The
reality is that we all share in the power of Christ’s victory over sin
and death through the Sacrament of Baptism. Ordained men have a greater
share in that they exercise an office associated with the ministry of
Jesus, but that does not mean that lay people have no power to combat
sin in their lives. We all have the power to reject the temptations of
the devil. It is simply a matter of exercising it at the appropriate
times.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.
Luke 9:1-6
1 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He
said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor
sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
5 And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” 6 Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
think: We all share in the power of Christ’s victory over sin and death through the Sacrament of Baptism.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 29-32
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