Daily Bible Readings - January 7, 2012

1st READING

The phrase “in accordance with His will” means everything to our understanding of this text. If we know the will of God for our lives, we would know what to do and pray for, such that we will be faithful to it. Herein lies the challenge that faces us all – discerning God’s will. There is no easy way of doing this — it is a lifelong task. There are no shortcuts. Let us commit to this task for the rest of our lives no matter where it leads us.

1 John 5:14-21
14 Beloved: We have this confidence in God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 16 If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. 18 We know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him. 19 We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Children, be on your guard against idols.

P S A L M

Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5, 6, 9
R: The Lord takes delight in his people.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 For the Lord loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. (R)

GOSPEL

The wedding feast at Cana is Jesus’ “coming out” story in John’s Gospel. He works His first miracle here. Why does He do it – it seems such a trivial problem to solve through a miracle. However, this event reminds us that Jesus wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Faith and religion are supposed to penetrate into every sphere of our lives such that the values in which we believe will be lived and proclaimed to all.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.
Matthew 19-21
John 2:1-11
1 There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. 9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
READING 2nd READING
TODAY’S
BLESSING
think: If we know the will of God for our lives, we would know what to do and pray for, such that we will be faithful to it.

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 Matthew 19-21