1ST READING
A prophet’s basic message is always a call to conversion. This is something we need to reflect on often as sin is always trying to bring about the opposite result in our lives. It is essential that we seek to go deeper with the Lord every day as His disciple. If we do not, we will get lazy and then apathetic and before we know it, sin will have reestablished its stronghold in our lives.
Jeremiah 7:1-11
1 The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord, and there proclaim this message: Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. 4 Put not your trust in the deceitful words: “This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!” 5 Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; 6 if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange Gods to your own harm, 7 will I remain with you in this place, in the land which I gave your fathers long ago and forever. 8 But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss! 9 Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange Gods that you know not, 10 and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name, and say: “We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again”? 11 Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves? I too see what is being done, says the Lord.
P S A L M
Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11
R: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
2 [3] My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (R) 3 [4] Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young — Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God! (R) 4 [5] Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. 5 [6] Blessed the men whose strength you are! 7 [8] They go from strength to strength. (R) 10 [11] I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (R)
GOSPEL
God will wait until the end of the world before the final judgment is passed. However, there will be a particular judgment when we die that will indicate our final destiny. Though there will be purification to prepare ourselves for eternity in the presence of God, at least we will know that that is our destination. Purgatory is thus a happy place in that we know we are destined for eternal beatitude and not hell.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.
Matthew 13:24-30
24 Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While everyone
was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 26 When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 27 The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 He replied, “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn. ”
Esther C-7
think: Purgatory is thus a happy place in that we know we are destined for eternal beatitude and not hell.G
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 Esther C-7
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