1ST READING
David
is a warrior — his hands are full of blood. He has done enough. God
will direct his son, Solomon, in the building of the Temple. This may
have been a great disappointment to David — we are not told what he
thinks of this — but David accepts the decision of God. We, too, need to
find the humility to accept that, no matter how competent we may be, we
cannot do everything. Thus, we need the help of others to be faithful
to God’s call in our lives.
2 Samuel 7:4-17
4 That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and said: 5 “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I
have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of
Israel out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a
tent under cloth. 7 In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the
judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 8 “Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. 9 I
have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your
enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of
the earth. 10 I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, 11 since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. 12 And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. 13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. 14 I
will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does
wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human
chastisements; 15 but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. 16 Your house and
your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’” 17Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
P S A L M
Psalm 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
R: Forever I will maintain my love for my servant.
3 [4] “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 [5] I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.” (R) 26 [27] “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock that brings me victory!’ 27 [28] I myself make him first-born,
Most High over the kings of the earth.” (R) 28 [29] “Forever I will maintain my love for him, my covenant with him stands firm. 29 [30] I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of heavens.” (R)
GOSPEL
Parables
may have a simple central theme but their application can be as varied
as the number of people who spend time reflecting on them. Let us give
the Holy Spirit room to move in our minds and hearts as we seek the
meaning of various Scripture passages for us. Do not come to a text with
a preconceived idea of what it says but be open to a new understanding
of what God might want to reveal to you today.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live forever.
Mark 4:1-20
1 On
another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd
gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. 2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3 “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 He
added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11 He
answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to
you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, 12 so
that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but
not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’” 13 Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These
are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear,
Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or
persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 19 but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20 But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
LIST
think: We need to find the humility to accept that, no matter how competent we may be, we cannot do everything.
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 Acts 5-8
No comments:
Post a Comment