1ST READING
There
are many stories about the destruction of the enemies of the People of
God in the Old Testament. The Israelites believed that they were the
only people favored by God. The Gospel corrects this erroneous belief
and assures us that the Good News is for all people who place their
faith in Jesus Christ. Let us never seek the destruction of our enemies
but instead pray for their conversion to faith in God.
Wisdom 18:6-9
6 The
night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with
sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might
have courage. 7 Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. 8 For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. 9 For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into
effect with one accord the divine institution.
P S A L M
Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
1 Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R)
20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 21 Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R)
2ND READING
Faith
is at the heart of our faith relationship with God. We cannot prove the
existence of God through Math and Science. However, we can argue for
His existence as the more reasonable option to take, given the nature of
the world and our human nature. Our capacity for reflection is beyond
the understanding of science. How did we gain the capacity to ask
questions concerning the world around us?
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 8 By
faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he
was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was
to go. 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs
of the same promise; 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. 11 By
faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal
age — and Sarah herself was sterile — for he thought that the one who
had made the promise was trustworthy. 12 So
it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sands on the seashore. 13 All
these
died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it
and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and
aliens on earth, 14 for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But
now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is
not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By
faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had
received the promises was ready to offer his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” 19 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
GOSPEL
The
timetable of a champion athlete will reveal to you his commitment to
the sport. He spends hours upon hours to train — for a perishable prize.
The monks in the monasteries spend many hours in prayer but for a prize
that will last forever — eternal life. What makes more sense in the
end?
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day the Son of Man will come.
Luke 12:32-48
32 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell
your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that
do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can
reach nor moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 35 Gird your loins and light your lamps
36 and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed
are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen,
I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and
proceed to wait on them. 38 And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 39 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” 41 Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 42 And
the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom
the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food
allowance at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master on
arrival finds doing so. 44 Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. 45 But
if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and
begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink
and get drunk, 46 then
that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown
hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the
unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s
will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48 and
the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way
deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be
required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be
demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
think: Faith is at the heart of our relationship with God.
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 1 Maccabees 13-14
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment