The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many - Daily Bible Readings September 30,2013

1^ST READING

 

St. Jerome is a great and holy man who loved the Scriptures with a passion that we should all seek to imitate. He worked hard to translate the Scriptures from their Hebrew and Greek origins into Latin to make them more accessible to the Church and the people. Today, we have versions of the Scriptures in most languages and many dialects to make the Word of God available to as many people as possible. Let us not forget to be grateful for the work done in translating the Scriptures into our own languages.

 

Zechariah 8:1-8

1 This word of the Lord of hosts came: Thus says the Lord of hosts: 2 I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. 3 Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. 5 The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also, says the Lord of hosts? 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. 8 I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29, 22, 23

R: The Lord will build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.

15 [16] The nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 16 [17] when the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 17 [18] when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 18 [19] Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the Lord: 19 [20] “The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 20 [21] to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.” (R) 28 [29] The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall continue in your presence. 21 [22] That the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion; and his praise, in Jerusalem, 22 [23] When the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not measured according to the criteria of the world. Jesus tells us quite clearly that depth of faith and trust is the most important thing in a disciple’s life. It is from these that powerful ministries come, as miracles are possible only by the power of God. Let us pray for a deeper faith and trust in God.

 

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

Luke 9:46-50

46 An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” 49 Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

 

think:  Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not measured according to the criteria of the world.

 

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 Daniel 1-3

 

 

REVIEW OF THE QUARTER

 

Did I fulfill my last quarter goals?

 

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What were the most important words the Lord gave to me this quarter?

 

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What were my greatest blessings these past three months?

 

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What are my most pressing needs for the next quarter?

 

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NOTES:

 

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Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich - Daily Bible Readings September 29,2013

1ST READING   Amos is scathing of the way the wealthy luxuriate in their riches and totally disregard the needs of the poor. It is a mystery to Amos how they can think that they are living righteous and good lives when their fellowmen are starving and living in squalor. The same reflection can be made today in every country of the world. All Christians have a responsibility to do what they can to alleviate the suffering of the poor — not to solve the whole problem, as that is too big, but to do what they can to help as many as possible to have a more dignified life.   Amos 6:1, 4-7 (or Daniel 7:9-10.13-14 or Revelation 12:7-12) 1 Thus says the Lord the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! 4 Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! 5Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. 6 They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!7 Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.   P S A L M   Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 (or Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5) R: Praise the Lord, my soul! 7 Blessed is he who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free. (R) 8 The Lord gives sight to the blind; the Lord raises up those that were bowed down. The Lord loves the just; 9 the Lord protects strangers. (R) The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. 10 The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through allgenerations. Alleluia. (R)   2ND READING     Paul basically exhorts Timothy to live the best possible life that he can. It is the witness of a leader’s life that makes the most difference in his   effectiveness as a leader. People will very quickly tire of following a hypocrite. They will go wherever a holy person leads them as long as the leader shows the way. Let us pray that all of our leaders are committed to living holy lives as true examples of the Christian way of life that we are all called to follow.   1 Timothy 6:11-16 11 But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, 14 to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ 15 that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.   GOSPEL   People with wealth do well to reflect on this parable and ask themselves what it demands of them. This is true for us all as there is always someone worse off than we are. Wealth brings all sorts of opportunities, but the most important opportunity it brings is generosity. One of the criteria of judgment for the wealthy when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead will be generosity. In other words, have we lived our lives purely for our own enjoyment or have we truly done our best to give enjoyment and pleasure to as many people as we can?   GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.   Luke 16:19-31 (or John 1:47-51) 19 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ 25 Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 27He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”   think: People will very quickly tire of following a hypocrite.     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 Ezekiel 45-48                                                                                                          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   ________________________________________________________________                                                           _________________________________________________________________

Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel - Daily Bible Readings September 28,2013

1^ST READING

 

God promises to His people. However, the history of the Jewish people shows us that they constantly take their destiny into their own hands (with terrible results), rather than entrusting it into the merciful and all-powerful hands of God. It takes a lot of courage to depend on the Lord, yet this is what the nature of our faith demands of us. The saints discover ways to do this — let us pray that we will find our way of becoming a saint, too.

 

Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15

5 I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 6 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its width and how great its length.” 7 Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him,8 and said to him, “Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst. 9 But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.” 14 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. 15 Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you.

 

P S A L M

Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The Lord shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (R)

 

 

 

GOSPEL

 

All of us live to a certain degree under the power of men. There are people in the world that exercise enormous power and influence. Unfortunately, many of them do not do this well. Let us exercise our gifts and influences for the benefit of others and not just for ourselves. Let us seek to serve rather than be served. It is this sort of humility that protects us from the temptations of sin.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

 

Luke 9:43-45

43 While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying; itsmeaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

 

think:  It takes a lot of courage to depend on the Lord, yet this is what the nature of our faith demands of us.

 

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 Ezekiel 41-44

 

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many - Daily Bible Readings September 27,2013

1^ST READING

 

Haggai assures the people that God is with them. This is all that we need to know. However, we often seek signs and further assurances of God’s presence and blessing to a particular task. Is it wrong to do this? It is hard to answer that question as it depends a lot on our motivation — the state of our hearts. It is important that we do not delay following God’s will, as the moment of grace may disappear. It is also important to discern His will so that we do not make an avoidable mistake.

 

Haggai 1:15-2:9

15 In the second year of King Darius, 2: 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes? 4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak, and take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. 5 This is the pact that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear! 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: One moment  yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 Mine is the silver and mine the gold, says the Lord of hosts. 9 Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give you peace, says the Lord of hosts.

 

P S A L M

 

 

Psalm 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R: Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

1 Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight against a faithless people; from the deceitful and impious man rescue me. (R) 2 For you, O God, are my strength. Why do you keep me so far away? Why must I go about in mourning, with the enemy oppressing me? (R) 3 Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place. (R) 4 Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy; then will I give you thanks upon the harp, O God, my God! (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

 

Many of the questions of the Scriptures are valid for us today, especially this one. Our answer to the question of who we think Jesus is will govern our commitment to following Him and the conviction with which we do it. The Scriptures reveal to us a multifaceted image of God and we all have to choose how we interpret it and put it together. The way we do this will depend on our character. Let us seek to answer this question honestly in our lives.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

 

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.                         

 

Luke 9:18-22

 

18 Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” 21 He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

 

think:  It is important that we do not delay following God’s will, as the moment of grace may disappear.

 

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 Ezekiel 37-40

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me - Daily Bible Readings September 26,2013

1^ST READING

 

Haggai wants the people to realize that self-introspection is not going to serve them well in the end. If we are too self-focused, we will not be able or willing to help one another. It is only when we work together as a community that the fullness of God’s blessing will be present in our midst. Alone we are easily conquered by sin; together it is easy to stand against sin as we have the help and support of one another.

 

Haggai 1:1-8

1 On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak: 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: This people says: “The time has not yet to come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 (Then this word of the Lord came through Haggai, the prophet:) 4 Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways! 6 You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; you have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; and whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways! 8 Go up into the hill country; bring timber, and build the house that I may take pleasure in it and receive my glory, says the Lord.

 

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

 

Many are fascinated with spiritual realities but refuse to surrender their lives to them out of fear of the unknown. There is an element of the unknown associated with faith in Christ as we are never quite sure if the ramifications are going to be for us personally. We need to pray for the grace to let go of the total control of our lives.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.

 

Luke 9:7-9

7 Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; 8 others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” 9 But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

LIST

think:  There is always an element of the unknown associated with faith in Christ.

 

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 Ezekiel 33-36

 

The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel - Daily Bible Readings September 25,2013

1^ST READING 

 

Ezra is ashamed of his sins and the sins of the People of God. We should be exactly the same. Then we should do something about it personally, such as stopping the sins in our lives. It is too easy to find fault with others and to blame them for our problems. Let us, instead, take hold of our lives and begin the journey towards salvation with the first steps of faith and trust in Jesus.

 

Ezra 9:5-9

5 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the Lord, my God. 6 I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. 7 From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today. 8 “And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the Lord our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude. 9 For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”

 

P S A L M

 

Tobit 13:2, 3-4, 6, 6, 7-8

R: Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

2 He scourges and then has mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether world, and He brings up from the great abyss. No one can escape His hand. (R) 3 Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them, 4 he has shown you his greatness even there. (R) 6 So now consider what he has done for you, and praise him with full voice. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. (R) In the land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation. (R) 7 Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones, and may all of you praise his majesty. 8 Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

The reality is that we all share in the power of Christ’s victory over sin and death through the Sacrament of Baptism. Ordained men have a greater share in that they exercise an office associated with the ministry of Jesus, but that does not mean that lay people have no power to combat sin in their lives. We all have the power to reject the temptations of the devil. It is simply a matter of exercising it at the appropriate times.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.

 

Luke 9:1-6

1 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5 And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” 6 Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

think:  We all share in the power of Christ’s victory over sin and death through the Sacrament of Baptism.

 

 

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 Ezekiel 29-32

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it - Daily Bible Readings September 24,2013

1^ST READING

 

Many exiles receive permission to return home and they take it up with both apprehension and joy. Joy because they are returning to their homeland, and apprehension because they realize there will be a lot of hard work to restore their lives and livelihood to its former state of prosperity. It is good for us to reflect on the struggles and trials of others so that we do not get deceived that the life of faith is an easy path to walk.

 

Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20

7 King Darius issued an order to the officials of West-of-Eupharates: “Let the governor and the elders of the Jews continue to work on that house of God; they are to rebuild it on its former site. 8 I also issue this decree concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that house of God: From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates, let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay. 12 I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be carefully executed. 14 The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building, supported by the message of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. 15 They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 The children of Israel — priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Finally, they set up the priests in their classes and the Levites in their divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as is prescribed in the book of Moses. 19 The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion, sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

Jesus wants us to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that discipleship or following God’s will for our lives, is the only way to His heart — into the gift of eternal life. Too many people think association with holiness will be enough to save them — it will not. We have to be holy as God is holy. We need to live the call to holiness, not just know someone who is living it.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

 

Luke 8:19-21

19 The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” 21 He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

 

think:  We need to live the call to holiness, not just know someone who is living 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_

_____________________________________

 

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 25-28

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father - Daily Bible Readings September 23,2013

1^ST READING

 

Ezra lives at a time when the people of Israel are allowed to return from exile in Babylon. He wants them to concentrate on building up Jerusalem and the Temple rather than be merely concerned about their own houses. Many of the Jews refuse to leave Babylon as they have established themselves there with lucrative businesses. This dispersion of the Jews will be very helpful when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel in about 500 years’ time.

 

Ezra 1:1-6

1In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him! 4 Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, together with free-will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’” 5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites — everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so — prepared to go up to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors gave them help in every way, with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, and with many precious gifts besides all their free-will offerings.

 

P S A L M

 

Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R: The Lord has done marvels for us.

1 When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. (R) Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. (R) 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the torrents in the southern desert. 5 Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. (R) 6 Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. (R)

 

GOSPEL

 

Padre Pio is a great example of a person who allowed his light to shine. As a holy man, a healer and mystic, he has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of devotees that built shrines in his memory. Let us not lose sight of Jesus in the midst of our devotions. It is Jesus who is the source of all grace. It is only through Him — faith in Him — that we can be saved.

 

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

 

Luke 8:16-18

16 Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

LIST

think:  Let us not lose sight of Jesus in our devotions.

 

 

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 Ezekiel 21-24