Showing posts with label Daily Bible Readings - August 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Bible Readings - August 2013. Show all posts
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Be vigilant at all times and pray, that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man - Daily Bible Readings August 30,2013
1ST READING
The
first and primary calling of any Christian is the call to holiness — it
captures every aspect of a truly Christian life. Being holy does not
mean praying all the time — it simply means getting to know what God
wants you to do at any particular time and actually doing it. We live in
a world of excess where people are too concerned about personal
pleasure. One of the first calls of holiness is recognizing and living
this principle: live simply so that others may simply live.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
1 Brothers
and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as
you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God — and as you are conducting yourselves — you do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, 4
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 not
to take advantage of or exploit a brother or a sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before
and solemnly affirmed. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. 8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards
not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
P S A L M
Psalm 97:1, 2, 5-6, 10, 11-12
R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
1 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. 2 Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R)
10 The Lord loves those that hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones; from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. 12 Be glad in the Lord, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. (R)
GOSPEL
This
parable is all about being ready for whatever we are called to do in
our lives. We cannot be disciples of Jesus if we are not willing to
prepare ourselves to do what He asks us to do, whatever that may be. We
do not know when God might call us to something new; are we ready to
respond? It is unlikely that God will uproot us unless there is a very
serious reason to do so, but we should be ready for anything just in
case .
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Be vigilant at all times and pray, that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
Matthew 25:1-13
1 Jesus
told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like
ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the
bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But
the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 While
they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready
went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
LIST
think: The first and primary calling of any Christian is the call to holiness.
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 Isaiah 61-63
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven - Daily Bible Readings August 29,2013
1ST READING
Jeremiah,
like many of the prophets, is a reluctant prophet. He realizes the
incredible responsibility of speaking for God and directing the people
of God according to His will. He knows that a lot of suffering will be
involved, thus we can be sure that he is truly committed to all that he
says.
Jeremiah 1:17-19 (or 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13)
17 The
word of the Lord came to me thus: Gird your loins; stand up and tell
them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; 18 for
it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a
wall of brass, against the whole land: Against Judah’s kings and
princes, against its priests and people. 19 They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you
to deliver you, says the Lord.
P S A L M
Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17 (or Psalm 90:3-5, 12-13, 14, 17)
R: I will sing your salvation.
1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me. (R) 3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. (R)
5 For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 15 My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. (R)
GOSPEL
Herod
is a coward and unwilling to follow his conscience. He is also a fool
to make a promise as ridiculous as the one he made to the daughter of
Herodias. We will be able to avoid many problems in life if we follow
our consciences and think before we speak. Words are very powerful and
have a way of creating situations out of very little. We should be
careful with what we say, lest we come to regret a few rash words spoken
with little thought.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mark 6:17-29 (or Matthew 24:42-51)
17 Herod
was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on
account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and
holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very
much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She
had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet
for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of
Galilee. 22 Herodias’s
own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his
guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I
will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The
girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want
you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
think: Words are very powerful and have a way of creating situations out of very little.
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 Isaiah 57-60
’
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him - Daily Bible Readings August 28,2013
1ST READING
Paul
reminds us that working hard is part of living the full dignity of our
humanity. In his Encyclical on Human Work, Laborem Exercens, Blessed
John Paul II reminded the world that work is essential to the dignity of
the human person, in that we participate in the creative work of God in
the world. This is why one of the primary tasks of any government is to
provide work for its people. A government that presides over crippling
unemployment conditions is a government that has failed in its duty
towards the people.
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
9 You
recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and
day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel
of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers. 11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children, 12 exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the
God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory. 13 And
for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in
receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received it not as the
word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work
in you who believe.
P S A L M
Psalm 139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12
R: You have searched me and You know me, Lord.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there. (R) 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast. (R)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light” — 12 For you darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day. (R)
GOSPEL
St.
Augustine is arguably the theologian who has most contributed to the
thinking of the Church. He is the most quoted person in the Catechism of
the Catholic
Church. His writings cover virtually every topic and subject that can
be thought of and his analysis is never lightly dismissed by any thinker
with integrity. People may not agree with all his conclusions but his
thoughts have to be taken seriously.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.
Matthew 23:27-32
27 Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are
like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but
inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. 28 Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. 29 Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of
the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; 32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”
think: Through our work, we participate in the creative work of God in the world.
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 Isaiah 53-56
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart - Daily Bible Readings August 27,2013
1ST READING
St.
Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, is an inspiring figure in the life
of the Church in terms of her commitment to intercession and trust in
God. She interceded for Augustine’s conversion for many years when most
of the time it would have seemed hopeless. Yet, she never gave up! This
is how we need to intercede — with hope and trust in God’s goodness and never giving in to the temptation to give up.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not without effect. 2 Rather,
after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in
Philippi, we drew courage through our God to speak to you the Gospel of
God with much struggle. 3 Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4 But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted
with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. 5 Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed — God is witness — 6 nor did we seek praise from men, either from you or from others, 7 although
we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ. Rather, we
were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. 8 With such affection for you, we were
determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
P S A L M
Psalm 139:1-3, 4-6
R: You have searched me and You know me, Lord.
1 O Lord, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you now the whole of it.
5 Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. (R)
GOSPEL
Hypocrisy
will always be a temptation for a person who seeks holiness, as any
temptation to sin involves at least a modicum of hypocrisy. The problem
with the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time is that many of them were
blatant hypocrites — they said one thing and did exactly the opposite!
Let us try to avoid damaging the work of the Gospel in this way and seek
to remain faithful to the call of the Spirit at all times.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
Matthew 23:23-26
23 Jesus
said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay
tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of
plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
think: Let us intercede with hope and trust in God’s goodness and never give in to the temptation to give up.
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 Isaiah 49-52
Monday, August 26, 2013
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me - Daily Bible Readings August 26,2013
1ST READING
Paul does not doubt the power of the Gospel to save us all. The best way to proclaim the Gospel is through the witness of our lives. It is when people see the Gospel lived in action that they are usually most convinced of its truth. It is not a matter of knowing all the intellectual answers to questions of faith, but having the faith to trust that the Holy Spirit will help us to know what we need, when we need it.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 8 In every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.
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
A person who fails to live the Gospel can never properly guide another person in it. This is the same as the principle of not being able to give away something we do not have. I cannot introduce you to a person I do not know myself. Let us then seek to be faithful witnesses to the truth of the Gospel, so that no one will call us hypocrites.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
Matthew 23:13-22
13 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [14] 14 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
think: The best way we can proclaim the Gospel is through the witness of our lives.
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 Isaiah 45-48
Sunday, August 25, 2013
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me - Daily Bible Readings August 25,2013
1ST READING
The latter part of the Book of Isaiah is written in the context of the restoration of Jerusalem as the Holy City of the world. It anticipates both the coming of the Messiah and, perhaps, even heaven itself in its imagery and hope. As we read a text, such as the one before us today, we need to be mindful that the intention of the writer is to encourage the people to trust — that God will see them through to a life of ultimate glory, no matter how hard things may seem at the moment.
Isaiah 66:18-21
18 Thus says the Lord: I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the Lord in clean vessels. 21 Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
P S A L M
Psalm 117:1, 2
R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)
2ND READING
Spare the rod and spoil the child — it is an old saying and one that is true despite the fact that in many countries today such punishments are illegal. Discipline is essential to every life of success ever known in history. Nobody will achieve success without it. This is true of the spiritual life as well. We have to be willing to embrace suffering when it comes our way, or else we will make the mistake of believing that nothing can go wrong if we just trust in the Lord. The martyrs are the most obvious examples of such a belief being blatantly incorrect.
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
5 Brothers and sisters, You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” 7 Endure your trials as “discipline;” God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? 11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who aretrained by it. 12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.
GOSPEL
There is a common hymn that says the road to salvation is broad and wide. I do not know where the writer got that idea from. We hear today that the road to salvation is narrow and that few willingly choose to take it. Let us make sure that we are some of those few, in that we will not allow ourselves to be led astray by thoughts that salvation is something easy and cheap to achieve — after all Jesus died on the cross to make it happen.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.
Luke 13:22-30
22 Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
think: The road to salvation is narrow and few willingly choose to take it.
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 Isaiah 41-44
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
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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