Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him - Daily Bible Readings September 13,2014

1^ST READING

 

Idolatry is the giving of honor to something less than God. Since our God is a Trinity of Persons, we can honor all three. What we need to avoid is giving honor to anyone or anything that cannot save us. This distinction — capable or not capable of salvation — is clearly at play in society today. We see people placing their trust in all sorts of things but not God, and the result is inevitably a disaster.

 

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

14 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? 17 Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he is?

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

R: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

12 How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? 13 The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. (R) 17 To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. (R)

 

 

GOSPEL

 

St. John Chrysostom looked around at the Church of his day and lamented the loss of the Charismatic gifts, claiming that this loss caused the Church to be naked and powerless in confronting the dangers of his time. The same is true today where secular power seem to be often at least one step ahead of the Church. This does not have to be the case if we only surrender our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us into battle, using all the gifts and resources at His disposal.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

 

Luke 6:43-49

43 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its ownfruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, nor do they gathergrapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 46Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. 49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

 

think:  Let us surrender our lives to the grace of the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us into battle, using all the gifts and resources at His disposal.

 

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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