Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come - Daily Bible Readings August 28,2014

1^ST READING

 

As we read Paul’s correspondence with the Corinthian community, it becomes obvious that he loved this community very much. Apart from spending a lengthy period of time with them on a number of occasions, he writes to them often, more times than the two nominal letters we have preserved in the Scriptures. Paul gives everything he has to the task at hand and holds nothing back so he could give what might benefit the faith of those whom he cares for.

 

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (or 1 John 4:7-16)

1 Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 3 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.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (or Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

R: I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

2 Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. (R) 4 Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might. 5 They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty and tell of your wondrous works. (R) 6 They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds and declare your greatness. 7 They publish the fame of your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your justice. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, one of its greatest theologians and philosophers. Many may not agree with all the nuances of Augustine’s thoughts but we must remember that like us, he is a man of his time. His greatness can be easily seen in that he, of all theologians, is quoted more often in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and also the Documents of Vatican II. He is the first to provide an extensive outline of authority and, if you read Aquinas, you will find Augustine ideas in most areas of Aquinas’ thoughts.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

 

Matthew 24:42-51 (or Matthew 23:8-12)

42 Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. 45 Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, 50 the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour 51 and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

 

think:  Like St. Paul, let us give everything we have to the task at hand and hold nothing back, so we could give what might benefit those whom we care for.

 

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: __________________

 

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God’s special verse/thought for me today_

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Psalm 16-20