#‘who having a lamp hides it under a bushel?’ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

queerdraws · 3 years ago

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Cleaning Out the Rooms - a Harry Du Bois playlist Alcoholism, getting better?, memory loss, being a superstar, The Final Dream, forming political opinions, bad breakups, past transgressions, being a strange and inconsistent being, and persisting despite it all 26 songs (r-slur warning for Turnin’ on the Screw - QotSA)

including: David Bazan, They Might be Giants, The Mountain Goats, British Sea Power (of course), Queens of the Stone Age, and more. Full track listing and lyric excerpts under the cut

---- Turnin' on the Screw - Queens of the Stone Age (This is the opening track on Era Vulgaris, seemed like an appropriate opening song / introduction to Harry's general essence) ----

... They say those who can't just instruct others And act like victims or jilted lovers You can't lose it if you never had it Disappear, man, do some magic

Want a reason? How's about because You ain't a has been if you never was

I sound like this

Scared to say what is your passion So slag it all, bitter's in fashion Fear of failure's all you've started The jury is in, verdict: r******d

I'm so tired, and I'm wired too I'm a mess; I guess I'm turning on the screw

---- Bless this Mess - David Bazan (Harry being a drunk and a general mess, things going in cycles) ----

God bless the man who stumbles God bless the man who falls God bless the man who yields to temptation God bless the woman who suffers God bless the woman who weeps God bless the children trying her patience Trouble getting over it Is what you're in for So pour yourself another 'Cause it'll take a steady pair of hands Holy or unholy ghost Well now I can't tell, but either way you cut it You should get some distance if you plan to take a stand God bless the house divided God bless the weeds in the wheat God bless the lamp hid under a bushel I discovered hell to be the poison in the well So I tried to warn the others of the curse But then my body turned on me I dreamt that for eternity My family would burn Then I awoke with a wicked thirst

---- Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair - Arctic Monkeys (general Harry vibe. off-kilter) ----

Break a mirror, roll the dice

...

Find a well-known hard man and start a fight Wear your shell suit on bonfire night Fill in a circular hole with a peg that's square

But just don't sit down 'cause I've moved your chair

...

Bite the lightning and tell me how it tastes Kung fu fighting on your roller skates Do the Macarena in the devil's lair

But just don't sit down 'cause I've moved your chair

---- I've Been Seeing Things - They Might be Giants (feels very Harry's detecting style, surreal happenstance) ----

I've been seeing things I've been seeing things Don't have answers but I've got lots of questions

Carpool's up, someone gets out Hand someone else a violin case I'm trying not to let them see me looking at them But I'm pretty sure there was a dollar sign

Keep your eyes peeled and you'll see stuff Which at first seems like unimportant irrelevant things

Can't just ask some perfect stranger "What are you hiding in your violin case?" Shadow them at a distance instead Try to get inside their head

Where'd they go now (Where'd they go now) I got distracted (I got distracted) Begging me to stay (Begging me to stay) Wearing a disguise (Wearing a disguise) That lady (That lady) Must have ditched the kid (Must have ditched the kid) Hidge the down (Hidge the down) [???] What's she up to now? (What's she up to now?) Trembling cold by the airport road Watching them stack containers in rows Seagulls, helicopter, windblown trash Something doesn't add up

I've been seeing things I've been seeing things No one asks but I'm packing all kinds of attention

Later I'm watching a news report Camera pans across a crime scene Unremarked upon detail Empty violin case Okay maybe not the same case Different material, different color Still you have to wonder Am I the only one who knows

I've been seeing things

---- Music is the Victim - Scissor Sisters (breakup Harry. drug-addled disco Harry) ----

I left my heart in San Fransisco It's at some motherfucking disco The people there where dancin' on it And that's including Ms. Matronic

Hell if music is the victim then so am I Of lovin' and a cheatin' the snake gon' bite I beg and I scream and I cuss and I cry If music is the victim then so am I

Of your bad fun Money's all gone but you need some Lover's on the phone but they got none Daddy ain't home from the dog run And you're riding through the city with a shotgun

I left my bag in Pasadena Where all them girls was doin' Tina Them bitches sure were crunked up on it I said I'd rather smoke some chronic

Hell if music is the victim then so am I Of lovin' and a cheatin' the snake gon' bite I beg and I scream and I cuss and I cry If music is the victim then so am I

---- Down to Your Soul - Right Away, Great Captain! (about the Final Dream and pre-game Harry) ----

And I see things I actually don't see. I knew it wasn't actually you a few feet from my reach. I looked into your eyes and I began to lose my teeth, And I felt you were dreaming the same thing.

And I know you don't know what I'm capable of But if you give me just one more minute I'm sure That you would be shaking right down to your soul And I'd hope that the fear of the lord brings me home. I'm a man in a body of water so tall Could swallow you whole and forget where he's going But I carved a map in the back of my arm Don't worry I'm coming home I said don't worry cause I'm coming home

---- No Surprises - Radiohead (suicidal harry, pre-game. Maybe immediately before the game. A little Big Communism Builder) ----

A heart that's full up like a landfill A job that slowly kills you Bruises that won't heal You look so tired, unhappy Bring down the government They don't, they don't speak for us I'll take a quiet life A handshake of carbon monoxide

And no alarms and no surprises

…

This is my final fit My final bellyache

…

No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)

---- Cleaning Out the Rooms - British Sea Power (The instrumental part seems to have been used / referenced for a background music track. And also the name of that one thought project. as expected, it fits beautifully. Wake up in a new life, down by the seaside. Cleaning out the rooms. She’ll be coming soon.) ----

Where life is good in a way Swept away upon our hearts, in cold coal ceremonial On a rainy day, hang it up Get the vacuum and suck it in Cleaning out the rooms, I'll clean it up Dark cloud, drifting out of view I'll never know, she'll be coming soon, that is all I'll wake up in a new life, ship shape and shoe shine Cleaning out the rooms, I'll clean it up She'll be coming soon Drifting into view, way in the west, white cloud If everybody knew, I never knew, she'll be coming soon I'll wake up in a new life, down by the seaside In a new life, down by the seaside Cleaning out the room, I'll clean it up Dark clouds, she'll be coming soon Down the chimney, out the window, that is all

---- In the Morning of the Magicians - The Flaming Lips (waking up with no memory, but bad vibes) ----

In the morning I awake

And I couldn't remember What is love and what is hate

The calculations error

Oh, what is love and what is hate? And why does it matter? Is to love just a waste? And how can it matter?

Oh...

As the dawn began to break I had to surrender The universe will have its way Too powerful to master

---- Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads (Huh?? What's happening?? same as it ever was, same as it ever was) ----

And you may ask yourself, "How do I work this?" And you may ask yourself, "Where is that large automobile?" And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house" And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife"

...

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was Same as it ever was, same as it ever was

...

And you may ask yourself, "What is that beautiful house?" And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" And you may ask yourself, "Am I right? Am I wrong?" And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?"

---- Don't Change - David Bazan (alcoholism, cycles of wanting to get better, depression, slipping in to old coping mechanisms, plus a little bit in here about dreams. This is a song for if Harry continues partying after the memory wipe, I suppose) ----

He seems nice You met him once or twice But you wonder what he's like When he's sober

Then again You hear he has no friends Just people that he spins To do him favors

When he wakes up in the morning he tells himself Today I'll make a change But falling into his bed at night he thinks Man it was a beautiful day to stay the same

I'm so deep That only in my sleep Do the secrets that I keep Float to the surface

So I hold them down Till they don't make a sound Like they accidentally drowned Except on purpose

And when I wake up in the morning I tell myself Today I'll make a change But falling into my bed at night I think Man it was a beautiful day to stay the same

---- Airbag - Radiohead (born again, back to save the universe) ----

In the next world war In a jackknifed juggernaut I am born again In the neon sign scrolling up and down I am born again

In an interstellar burst I am back to save the universe

In a deep, deep sleep of the innocent I am born again In a fast German car I'm amazed that I survived An airbag saved my life

In an interstellar burst I am back to save the universe

---- A Comet Appears - The Shins (puppeting a man-body around pretending to be a living thing. drinking, depression) ----

One hand on this wily comet Take a drink just to give me some weight Some uber-man I'd make I'm barely a vapor

They shone a chlorine light on A host of individual sins Let's carve my aging face off Fetch us a knife Start with my eyes Down so the lines Form a grimacing smile

Close your eyes to corral a virtue Is this fooling anyone else? Never worked so long and hard To cement a failure

---- The Communists Have the Music - They Might be Giants (Big Communism Builder, but especially Harry's shallow understanding of Communism. Party-boy communist) ----

I got handed an Ayn Rand sandwich Straight from the can, it tasted so bland I asked a lass to pass me a glass Of Engels' Conditions of the Working Class

Right away they dragged me to the committee To explain my un-American activity They're gonna see they made a mistake If they'd only let me play my mixtape

I'm not partial to the martial Or the plutocrats, in their beaver hats And the fascists have the outfits But I don't care for the outfits What I care about is music And the communists have the music

---- Harlem Roulette - The Mountain Goats (Harry thinking about Guillame le Million? Generally: that vibe of secret, maybe supranatural machinations happening just outside your field of view. A kinda lonely, pensive vibe, sprinkled with past drug use, driving...memory) ----

Unknown engines underneath the city Steam pushing up in billows through the grates Frankie Lymon's tracking "Seabreeze" in a studio in Harlem Its 1968. Just a pair of tunes to hammer out. Everybody's off the clock by 10:00. The loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you're never going to see again. Feels so free when I hit the avenue. Nothing like a New York summer night. Every dream's a good dream, Even awful dreams are good dreams, If you're doing it right. Remember soaring higher than a cloud. Get pretty sentimental now and then. The loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you're never going to see again. And four hours north of Portland, a radio flips on. And some no one from the future remembers that you're gone. Armies massing in the dusky distance. Ghosted in the ribbon microphone. Leave a little mark on something, maybe, Take the secret circuit home. Nothing in the shadows but the shadow hands. Reaching out to sad, young, frightened men. The loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you're never going to see again.

---- Suture up Your Future - Queens of the Stone Age (Harry's gonna fix his mess) ----

I'm gon' suture up my future I ain't jaded, I just hate it See, I been down too long It's kinda hard to explain Burned and buried, all I carried

...

Tried explaining unexplained Got caught in the plan All this talking at once I've been giving my love away To the things that tear it apart I'm gonna suture up my future

---- Lampshades on Fire - Modest Mouse (Harry trashing his body / having already trashed his body, just kinda a Harry-vibe song) ----

...

Well, the lampshade's on fire when the lights go out This is what I really call a party now Well, fear makes us really, really run around A-this one's done so where to now? Our eyes light up, we have no shame at all Well, you all know what I'm talking about The room lights up, but we're still dancing around We're having fun, having some fun now

Pack up again, head to the next place Where we'll make the same mistakes Open one up and let it fall to the ground Pile out the door when it all runs out

...

As our feelings are getting hurt Oh, we want you to do the work Our ass looks great inside these jeans Well, we want just our water clean

Well, this is how it's always been And this is how it's going to be So you just move on

---- Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes (Harry "can-opener" du Bois. Talking to the skills, solving things, detecting, generally being a terrifying force of nature / the pale) ----

I'm gonna fight 'em all A seven nation army couldn't hold me back They're gonna rip it off Taking their time right behind my back

And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette

And the message coming from my eyes Says, "Leave it alone"

Don't wanna hear about it Every single one's got a story to tell Everyone knows about it From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell

And if I catch it coming back my way I'm gonna serve it to you And that ain't what you want to hear But that's what I'll do

And the feeling coming from my bones Says, "Find a home"

---- Body of Years - Mother Mother (Harry's past that follows him, Harry's half-decomposed body that marks the years of abuse it's been through) ----

All the remains of a cadaver of days I keep hidden away, keep them there just in case I wanna visit that place Blow the dust from the bones Off a body of years that I leave all alone Just a body of years

See the skin disappears And the blood turns to stone In a body of years now a pile of bones Like a sheet of veneer Each a piece of my soul It's a body of years that I leave all alone

It's Just a body of years, now a pile of bones You know Old soul who falls down Can't stop trippin' on these Old roads I go down Get back up and get my foot in the door And my face on the page Make my mark in the world With a bat and a blade It's a body of work that you can't ever change Like a body of years that you take to your grave It's just a body of years that I leave all alone It's just a body of years, now a pile of bones Like a sheet of veneer Each a piece of my soul

---- The Cap-m - They Might be Giants (just a Harry vibe song) ----

When I talk you keep looking away from me 'Cause you probably think that I'm high on pot But I'm not, I'm not

Look me over, I'm the Cap'm You say it's such a joke But I don't see you laughing

People seem to think you can't be called the Cap'm Unless you drive a boat Well, I don't I don't

Look me over, I'm the Cap'm Go ahead and mess with me You'll find out what will happ'm

...

Did you say what I think you just said My hat looks good on me? I agree, I agree

Look me over, I'm the Cap'm You act like it's a joke But I don't see you laughing

---- Broke - Modest Mouse (oops! all mistakes. Broke it all. Want to forget it but can't) ----

Broke account, so I broke a sweat I've bought some things that I sort of regret about now Broke my pace and ran out of time Sometimes I'm so full of shit that it should be a crime

Broke a promise 'cause my car broke down Such a classic excuse it should be bronze by now Broke your glasses, but it broke the ice You said that I was an asshole and I paid the price

Broken hearts want broken necks I've done some things that I'd love to forget, but I can't

Broke up, and I'm relieved somehow It's the end of the discussions that just go 'round and 'round And 'round, and 'round, and 'round ... It was like everything was evidence of broken time

You're living on fancy wine You'll drink that turpentine You're starting conversations You don't even know the topic

---- Spent Gladiator 2 - The Mountain Goats (Defiantly alive) ----

Like a spent gladiator, Crawling in the coliseum dust. Who can count on his remaining limbs, All the people he can trust. Like the one who stands behind him, Cheering him on. Ecstatic when he stands defiant, Wild with abandon when he's gone. Just stay alive. Keep your eyes on the pay line. Like a village on the step, About to get collectivized. When the men emerge with rifles from the haystack, Everybody looks surprised. Like the mice in the forgotten grain, Way up on the top shelf. Like someone who's found a small town to escape to, Keeps one eye on his abandoned, former self. Stay in the game. Just try to play through the pain. Like a fighter who's been told its finally time for him to quit. Show up in shining colors, And then stand there and get hit. Like the clock that ticks in Dresden, When the whole town's been destroyed. Like the nagging flash of insight, You're always desperate to avoid. Like the bloody-knuckled gunman, Still stationed at the breach. Like that board game with the sliders, And the children on the beach. Stay alive. Maybe spit some blood at the camera. Just stay alive. Stay forever alive.

---- You Only Live Once - The Strokes (just general Harry, talking about the skills, choices you can make, what kind of cop you can be) ----

Twenty-nine different attributes Only seven that you like, oh-oh Twenty ways to see the world, oh And twenty ways to start a fight, oh

...

And countless odd religions too It doesn't matter which you choose, oh, no One stubborn way to turn your back, oh This I've tried and now refuse, oh

Oh don't, don't, don't get up I can't see the sunshine Oh, I'll be waiting for you, baby 'Cause I'm through Sit me down Shut me up I'll calm down And I'll get along with you

---- Pork and Beans - Weezer (Superstar Cop) ----

They say I need some rogaine to put in my hair Work it out at the gym to fit my underwear Oakley makes the shades to transform a tool You'd hate for the kids to think that you've lost your cool

I'ma do the things that I wanna do I ain't got a thing to prove to you I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans Excuse my manners if I make a scene I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like I'm fine and dandy with the me inside One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink I don't give a hoot about what you think

Everyone likes to dance to a happy song With a catchy chorus and beat so they can sing along Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art

No, I don't care I don't care

---- Freaks - Surf Curse (head filled with skills, The Final Dream) ----

Don't kill me just help me run away From everyone I need a place to stay Where I can cover up my face Don't cry, I am just a freak

I am just a freak(x3)

My head is filled with parasites Black holes cover up my eyes I dream of you almost every night Hopefully I won't wake up this time

I won't wake up this time(x3)

---- The Smallest Church in Sussex - British Sea Power (oh yeah this is mandatory) ----

#disco elysium #harry du bois #harrier du bois #hdb #disco elysium playlist #generally wanted to keep this playlist fun to listen to despite the subject matter to there are still a lot of songs w good beats #communists have the music gets stuck in my head all the time #also sorry to repost this #i forgot to tag anything and if you edit something to add tags it doesn't seem to show up in search

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 2 years ago

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7th June >> Mass Readings (USA)

Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

1 Kings 17:7-16

The jar of flour shall not go empty, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry, because no rain had fallen in the land. So the LORD said to Elijah: “Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have designated a widow there to provide for you.” He left and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, “Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.” She left to get it, and he called out after her, “Please bring along a bit of bread.” She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8

R/ Lord, let your face shine on us.

When I call, answer me, O my just God, you who relieve me when I am in distress; Have pity on me, and hear my prayer! Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?

R/ Lord, let your face shine on us.

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one; the LORD will hear me when I call upon him. Tremble, and sin not; reflect, upon your beds, in silence.

R/ Lord, let your face shine on us.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us! You put gladness into my heart, more than when grain and wine abound.

R/ Lord, let your face shine on us.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:16

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

Gospel

Matthew 5:13-16

You are the light of the world.

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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kingbennyboyyy · 4 years ago

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benny’s RWBY rewrite: the relics & maidens, part 1

hello again! it’s been a little bit, but i’m back as a reward for getting a long-ass essay done! this will be the first of probably several plot-related changes i’ll be making to the story, starting with something with a lot of potential: the relics and the maidens. i’ll be going into my personal rewrite of the story of the maidens, and then their powers, and how they interact with the relics and vaults.

this will be the first part: the origins of the maidens, story-wise. the second part will be the mechanics of the maidens and relics, and how they interact with the story at large.

if you’re still interested, there’ll be more under the cut!

so, the first thing i’m going to do is alter the mythos surrounding the maidens. i like the idea of a bunch of girls visiting a hermit, but i’d like to expand upon it. firstly, i’d like for the hermit to have a bit more character. i’ve opted to name him kurloz, as he’s a bit different than most of the other ozma reincarnations we’ve seen, and i wanted his name to reflect that.

the hermit is a hermit for a reason: he’s come into his own, realizing that he isn’t really himself, but i also think that he keeps himself sequestered away because he really doesn’t know what to do. this is where the maidens come in.

the gods of light and darkness outlined four virtues that define humanity: knowledge, creation, destruction, and choice. i want to add to these virtues that they can be used for evil as easily as they can for good. the four maidens, along with being manifestations of seasons, should also embody these virtues strongly, both in their original iterations, and in the people who hold the maiden powers. these virtues connect the maidens and the relics: the relic of creation will only grow into its full potential in the hands of the spring maiden- the embodiment of creation. i did also swap the relic/maiden lineup, but i’ll go into that as well.

so, the story goes as follows:

long ago, a hermit lived deep in the forest, in a cabin away from all of civilization. his home had the strange ability to attract those who he wanted to speak to, and deter those he didn’t. the winding woods around his home were mazes to those with impure intentions.

during the winter, the hermit was visited by a young woman. by her opulent dress of blue and white silks and lace, she was a noble, the heiress to a faraway throne. she greeted the hermit politely, and he knew after a bit of talking that she was wise beyond her few years. they spoke for a while about science and art, the advancements the hermit had missed in his decades of hiding. the hermit, satisfied with what he’d learned of the maiden, asked her a question: in a world gone mad, what would she do to fix it?

the maiden replied, “share your knowledge with the people of the world. you cannot vanquish an enemy you do not know exists.” the hermit, who had been paralyzed by fear because of his knowledge, was surprised. the maiden continued, “knowledge eliminates fear. it shows you that all there is to fear is the unknown. the only choices that matter are life or death. all else are reached with knowledge.”

the hermit sat with this insight for a time. as the maiden stood, he asked that she visit again in the middle of the next year, when the sun was at its highest. she politely agreed, and with a bow, she left the hermit with his thoughts.

as winter changed to spring, and the flowers began to blossom, the hermit was visited by another young woman. by the dirt covering her overalls, and the strength in her body, she was a humble farmer. she carried a bushel of fresh fruits, and ran toward the hermit, offering him a few of what she’d harvested. in the blooming grove, they spoke of the beginnings of spring, what would grow and blossom, and what would be done with all that emerged. the hermit, amused with the maiden’s enthusiasm, asked her a question: in a world gone mad, what would she do to fix it?

the maiden thought as she chewed a tart she’d made. smiling, she replied, “the world is mad, sure, but look at all the good in it! we must take the seeds of goodness, plant and nurture them, and wait for better to grow.” the hermit, who had seen new worlds war with one another, was surprised. the maiden continued, “everyone has to work together to create a better world. i can’t tell you alone what better looks like, just as you can’t tell me that either.”

the hermit sat with this insight for a time. as the maiden gathered up her baskets and bags, the hermit asked that she visit again in the middle of the next year, when she sun was at its highest. after leaving the hermit with a bag of seeds, she agreed, and bounded back into the woods, leaving the hermit with his thoughts.

as spring turned to summer, and the heat took the forest, the hermit was visited by yet another young woman. bandits had somehow found their way to his home, but a huntress, identifiable by her masterful combat prowess, managed to defeat them. rather than dispatch them, she scolded them for attacking a defenseless old man, and shooed them away. the maiden, armed with masterfully-crafted weapons, was patched up by the hermit as she spoke about everything she had done, the people she’d saved and killed. the hermit, stricken by the maiden’s perseverance, asked her a question: in a world gone mad, what would she do to fix it?

as she rolled her stiff shoulder, the maiden replied: “make up your mind! you claim to care so deeply for the strifes of the world, and yet you sit and do nothing but think! you let the world burn while you ruminate.” the hermit, offended by the gall of this maiden, was speechless. the maiden continued, “get off of your ass, leave this little shack, and do something.”

the hermit sat with this insight for a long time. as the maiden gathered up her weapons and tightened her bandages, the hermit asked that she visit again in the middle of the next year, when the sun was at its highest. she grumbled out an agreement, and after thrusting a simple firearm into the hermit’s hands, she left in a huff.

and as the leaves crinkled and turned yellow and brown, and the cool breeze of autumn took the woods, a final young woman visited the hermit. she was silent, almost shy as she simply sat on the hermit’s porch, with an unreadable expression on her face. the hermit emerged, offered her tea and company as she sorted through what she felt. in an attempt to break the silence, the hermit asked her a question: in a world gone mad, what would she do to fix it?

the maiden bit the inside of her cheek. after a moment of silence, she replied: “this world is broken beyond repair. if it seeks endlessly to destroy us, maybe we should destroy it first.” the hermit, having sequestered himself for fear of doing just that, was appalled. seeing the hermit’s fear, the maiden continued, “we’ve ruined this world. we war and kill constantly. maybe if we burn everything down, something better will grow in the fertile soil.”

the hermit sat with this insight for a long time. as the maiden stood, she confessed that someone she loved was taken from her. the hermit offered his condolences, and asked that she visit him again in the middle of the next year, when the sun was at its highest. she only gave a nod before she vanished back into the woods.

the middle of the next year came quickly enough. the hermit, excited about the return of the maidens, had set out food and drink on his porch. the maidens from winter, spring, summer, and fall arrived in sequence, bringing their own gifts for the hermit. the winter maiden brought a collection of all the hermit had missed in his hermitage. the spring maiden brought cakes and tarts, all made from the produce she’d grown. the summer maiden brought a set of weapons, a sword and bow, for the hermit to use as he wished. the fall maiden brought tinder for the hermit’s fireplace, for the coming autumn and winter.

at the end of their feast, the hermit revealed himself to be a powerful sorcerer of old, who had been waiting for someone to prove themselves worthy of his power. the sorcerer granted the winter maiden power over ice and cold, and the power to use her intellect to keep her enemies at bay. he granted the spring maiden power over plant, flower, and vine, and the power to create flora to aid in her companion’s fights. she granted the summer maiden power over wind, and storm, and the ability to choose who to blow close, and who to sweep away. he granted the fall maiden power over fire, and the ability to destroy the enemies of the new world she wanted.

the magic of the maidens, over time, was shaped by the strength of their wills. the virtues they embodied gave their magic a type of sentience, that would seek out those who exemplified their virtues. in time, the maidens learned of the relics from another oz, and used their combined powers to create vaults that only they could open. the winter maiden's lamp of knowledge was kept in the first’s home nation: mistral. the spring maiden’s staff of creation was kept in the second’s home nation: mantle. the summer maiden’s crown of choice was kept in the third’s home nation: vale. the fall maiden’s sword of destruction was kept in the fourth’s home nation: vacuo. the academies built above these vaults were informed by the maidens, and the governments kept close tabs on where their respective maidens were. the goal was to keep the maidens and relics separate, until a significant threat called for them to be gathered. after all, the maidens were the only people alive with the power to present the relics to the gods, to summon them to judge the state of the world.

with that, i hope you enjoyed my retelling of the maiden myth! i’ll be going into how this influences the story in the second part of this mini-series.

if you have any feedback, feel free to send me an ask!

#benny's rwby rewrite #rwby #story

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panatmansam · 5 years ago

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Shining

Stephen King did not make up “shining”. He made it scary but he didn’t make it up. There have always been people who shine. These are people with a certain radiance of personality. Often they have been shamans or saints.

In peasant cultures word about them gets out and people who do not travel ten miles away from home in a lifetime travel great distances to see them.

People take note of these people. Especially others who shine. Those who shine are drawn to each other. Many do not want to be known so they hide their lamp under the proverbial bushel but when they spot another one, in school, at work or online its razor focus.

The internet has allowed these people to find each other like never before. Many felt that they were the only ones out there. Then they read about other people. Normal people. Smart people. Who also shine.

Things were different forever after that.

#sam #musings #writing

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cinebration · 5 years ago

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Just Realized

That Dan Torrance hiding his Shine may be an allusion to the parable of the light under the bushel:

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. … Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” Luke 11:33, 35–36 (ESV)

Not sure if that was King’s intent, but it does make some interesting statements.

#Doctor Sleep #Dan Torrance #Ewan McGregor

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snommelp · 5 years ago

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A City on a Hill

Sermon for today, the fifth Sunday after Epiphany, meditating on Isaiah 58:1-12 and Matthew 5:13-20. Minor redactions to remove names.

Isaiah 58:1-12

Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

Matthew 5:13-20

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

[[PRAY]]

Great crowds have been following Jesus. They’ve heard about this miracle man, who’s been wandering all through the region of Galilee teaching and preaching and healing all sorts of disease and illness. People have come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, even from beyond the Jordan. They all want to see this man, to hear his teaching, to figure out what he’s all about. One day, on top of a mountain, he sits down to teach. I can imagine being in that crowd, the eager anticipation, waiting to find out what profound teaching he’s going to offer.

He sits to teach, and says to the crowd: “You are salt.”

Um… thanks? I guess? What’s the proper response to that? “Thanks, I think you’re nutmeg”?

“You are the salt of the earth.”

What does it mean to be salt? Well, let me tell you all about one of my earlier adventures in cooking. I decided that I was going to try to cook up a simple chicken and rice dish, and I was going to improvise the whole thing. Now I might have been a novice in the kitchen, but you don’t have to know how to cook to know that chicken doesn’t have a very strong flavor of its own and neither does rice. So I decided to cook it with a little bit of a Mexican seasoning that I had lying around. When it was all done I sat down to eat, and it was bland. I couldn’t understand it. I wondered if maybe I’d just forgotten to use the seasoning, but I could feel the spiciness on my tongue, so that couldn’t be it.

Then I realized I hadn’t added any salt. So I went into the kitchen and shook in just a tiny bit of salt and stirred it up. The very next bite exploded with flavor.

Because that’s what salt does. That’s what salt is for. When you put salt in your food it draws out all the other flavors that you wouldn’t have noticed before. Of course salt also has a flavor all its own, and if you use too much salt that’s all you’re going to taste, but when you use salt right it enhances your food and makes it that much tastier.

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? It means letting the flavor of your discipleship enhance the world all around you. It means that when you follow the Great Commandment to love God and love your neighbor, it draws out goodness and love everywhere you go, and in that way you help to bring the Kingdom of God.

“You are the light of the world.”

Okay, this one seems a bit easier. On an intuitive level, we understand that light is good. But still, we don’t necessarily take the time to think about what’s good about it. What does it mean to be light?

Jesus tells us: when you light a lamp, you put it on a lampstand, and it gives light to the whole house. I borrowed this lamp from our district superintendent -- I’ll confess when Jesus said “lamp” I was imagining something more like the lamp from Aladdin, but to be perfectly honest this clay lamp is probably closer to what Jesus would have used. This small lamp can give light to a whole house. You don’t need a big bonfire, a small light can dispel the darkness.

I went to college out in Flagstaff, Arizona. If you don’t know a lot about Flagstaff, the first thing to know is that it’s in the Arizona hill country. The city is at a base elevation of 7000 feet, and then there are mountains. And actually, the mountains in Flagstaff are the remnants of a long-dead volcano. Several times in college, I went with one group or another out to one of the national parks, and after a short hike we would come to a hole in the ground. This hole was caused by a cave-in, and climbing down into the hole brought you into a lava tube, a tunnel which was carved tens of thousands of years ago by the lava of that volcano.

Twenty yards into the cave, all natural light was gone. The cave was probably 300, 400 yards long, before you got to another cave-in that even the smallest person couldn’t crawl past. And the tradition was, when you reached the end of the lava tube, everyone in your group would sit down together in a circle. And shut off all of their flashlights. There, beyond the reach of the sun, the darkness was so complete that you could feel it. It was suffocating. Then, someone would pull out a little lamp like this one, or a small candle, and light it. That small light filled the cave, drove the darkness away.

What does it mean to be light? Light doesn’t exist for its own sake. It shines so that others can see. It shines to bring others out of the darkness. A lighthouse shines to guide travelers on a dark and frightening ocean. A city on a hill shines its light out to the surrounding countryside, guiding and welcoming lost and weary travelers. So what does it mean to be the light of the world? It means living a life that constantly shines the light of the love of Christ, dispelling darkness and welcoming the lost and the lonely into the Kingdom of God. Even if you see someone else and think that they’re a big bonfire while you’re just a small oil lamp, let your light shine, for the glory of God.

You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. You are a city on a hill. Salt and light, which exist for the sake of others. And as I was meditating on Jesus’ message here in Matthew, it struck me just how much it echoes the message of the prophet Isaiah from so long before him.

When the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, the people had a problem. Two problems, really, but they were two related problems. First, the people were treating God like some kind of divine vending machine. Put prayer in, push the buttons to make your selection, get out your desired result. And in fairness to the people of Israel, that’s how all of their neighbors did it, how the Canaanites and the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the Akkadians all interacted with their gods. Make the right sacrifice, say the right words, do the right hand gesture, and the gods will make it rain on your fields. Do a different sacrifice, say different words, different hand gesture, and the gods will smite your enemies.

It’s how all the neighboring nations did it. But when God led the people out of Egypt, God told them not to be like the neighboring nations.

Second, the people were selfish. Even on the sabbath and the holy days, they served their own interests. They oppressed their workers. They quarreled, fought, struck on another with wicked fists. They would even hide themselves from their own family members just so that they wouldn’t have to be inconvenienced by helping someone.

And God spoke to the prophet Isaiah, and through Isaiah said to the people “you wicked and rebellious people! What do you think you’re doing? Do you really think that you can force me to do your will, with these empty gestures and this self-serving piety? Look at yourselves! Do you really think that this is what I want?”

“I’ll tell you what I want. I want you to loose the bonds of injustice! I want you to let the oppressed go free! Share your bread with the hungry! Clothe the naked! House the homeless, yes even in your own homes! This is what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, to walk in humility! Do this, and when you call I will answer you. Do this, and I will satisfy your need. But do this. Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. This is the fast that I desire. Thus says the Lord.”

That phrase has been stuck spinning around in my head for years now. This is the fast that I choose. In just two and a half weeks, we’ll be starting Lent - Ash Wednesday is on February 26. Since at least the fourth century, Christians have been preparing for Easter with this extended season of reflection and repentance, prayer and fasting. Some people will give up chocolate or soda. Others will skip entire meals, or might not eat any meat from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

But it occurred to me that all too often, my approach to Lent is far too similar to the problems that the people of Israel were experiencing. As a child, I would give up chocolate for Lent, and I would focus on how annoying it was, and think about how God was in my debt because of all the chocolate I could be eating. But what is the fast that God chooses? Justice, mercy, compassion; food for the hungry, clothing for the naked.

And so this year my fast is going to be a little different, and I’m inviting you to join me. I am going to monetize my fast, in a sense. I haven’t decided what I’m giving up yet, but let’s use soda as my example. I have a soda with my lunch every day. During Lent, when I don’t have that soda, I will also be setting aside the money I would have spent on that soda. That dollar 75 is gone, as if I spent it. And on Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the risen Christ, we’re going to have a special collection in addition to our usual offering, where we take up the fast that we set aside, and we’re going to give it all to [redacted] here in [redacted].

Your fast might be small, or it might be big. But even a small oil lamp can light up an entire house. Even just a pinch of salt can draw out an explosion of flavors in a meal.

As you leave this place and go out wherever God may lead you, go out to be salt. Be light. Be a city on a hill. Shine the love of Christ everywhere you go, to show the way to the lost and weary travelers.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

#sermon

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fidei · 2 years ago

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You are the light of the world

A treatise on Matthew by St Chromatius

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp only to put it under a bushel basket; they put it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. The Lord called his disciples the salt of the earth because they seasoned with heavenly wisdom the hearts of men rendered insipid by the devil. Now he calls them the light of the world as well, because they have been enlightened by him, the true and everlasting light, and have themselves become a light in the darkness.

Since he is the Sun of Justice, he fittingly calls his disciples the light of the world. The reason for this is that through them, as through shining rays, he has poured out the light of the knowledge of himself upon the entire world. For by manifesting the light of truth, they have dispelled the darkness of error from the hearts of men.

Moreover, we too have been enlightened by them. We have been made light out of darkness as the Apostle says: For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. He says another time: For you are not sons of the night and of darkness, but you are all sons of light and of the day.

Saint John also rightly asserts in his letter: God is light, and whoever abides in God is in the light just as God himself is in the light. Therefore, because we rejoice in having been freed from the darkness of error, we should always walk in the light as children of light. This is why the Apostle says: Among them you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.

If we fail to live in the light, we shall, to our condemnation and that of others, be veiling over and obscuring by our infidelity the light men so desperately need. As we know from Scripture, the man who received the talent should have made it produce a heavenly profit, but instead he preferred to hide it away rather than put it to work and was punished as he deserved.

Consequently, that brilliant lamp which was lit for the sake of our salvation should always shine in us. For we have the lamp of the heavenly commandment and spiritual grace, to which David referred: Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Solomon also says this about it: For the command of the law is a lamp.

Therefore, we must not hide this lamp of law and faith. Rather, we must set it up in the Church, as on a lamp-stand, for the salvation of many, so that we may enjoy the light of truth itself and all believers may be enlightened.

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romancatholicreflections · 6 years ago

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24th November >> Daily Reflection/Commentary on Today’s First Reading for Roman Catholics on Saturday, Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time (Revelation 11:4-12).

Today’s reading seems at first sight to be very obscure in meaning. After the eating of the scroll it is a second digression by the author and describes two rather mysterious “witnesses”. They are referred to as two olive trees and two lamps and had been given authority to prophesy for 1,260 day or three and a half years, a conventional period for eschatological distress.

These titles originally were applied by the prophet Zechariah to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the religious and civil leaders respectively, who restored the temple and the city of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian Exile. Here it is possible they represent the leaders of the New Temple and the New Jerusalem, namely Peter and Paul.

The descriptive images which follow link them to Moses and Elijah, representatives of the Law and the Prophets who appeared at the Transfiguration along with Jesus endorsing his mission, his suffering, death and resurrection.

Anyone who attacks them will be consumed by fire. The fire that consumes enemies reminds us of how King Ahaziah’s emissaries to Elijah were twice destroyed by fire brought down on them by God through his prophet. (2 Kings 1)

And the power to shut up the sky refers to the great drought that came on Israel in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 17). Their ability to turn water into blood and bring other plagues recalls how Moses brought the plagues to Egypt to make the Pharaoh repent and release the Israelites (Exodus 7).

But, after they have completed their task of giving witness to Christ and the Gospel, the “beast” comes from the Abyss, overcomes and kills them. Their killer is the Antichrist. His coming from the Abyss indicates his demonic origins. Some see the beast as Nero, the emperor traditionally thought to have martyred both Peter and Paul. In any case, he stands for a ruler opposed to God’s people. The death of these prophets parallels that of their Master and Lord.

Leaving their bodies to lie in the street of a “great city” was a serious violation of all decency for people in the Middle East (cf. the burial of Jesus himself).

The “great city” may be either Jerusalem or Rome. Jerusalem is sometimes called Sodom by the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) for its moral wickedness and Egypt for its idolatry and oppression. It is also, of course, the city where Jesus was crucified. However, Jesus could have been said to have been executed in Rome in so far as Jerusalem was under Roman rule and crucifixion was a Roman form of execution. (The Jews preferred stoning.) The two prophets or “witnesses”, if they are Peter and Paul, would have died in Rome.

The outrage against them is repeated as they are left lying unburied for three and a half days because the “nations” will not allow their burial. (In the Middle East and generally in the Muslim world people are buried very soon after death.)

Their death, however, is celebrated by the “world”, which found the teaching of these prophets a scourge. This, of course, was only to fulfil the teaching of Jesus about the fate that would await those who preached his Gospel (cf. Matt 10:16ff). Things have not changed in our own day.

However, this was not the end. For after three and a half days, God gave them new life. They stood up (i.e. they “rose”, “resurrected”) and all who saw this were terrified. The killing of Christians, the making of martyrs, in the whole history of the Church has only brought new life, new energy, new courage. A striking example was the killing of Bishop Oscar Romero in El Salvador. The Church thrives most of all in time of persecution.

Finally, the two prophets are called up to the very presence of their Lord and, like him, ascend in a cloud, the very symbol of God’s presence.

Let us hope that we, too, will be able to follow them. For that we need to give witness to our faith, even in times of difficulty or when faced with opposition. That is no time to hide our light under a bushel or to bury our talent in the ground. As a risen people, we are called on to stand up. How else can the Gospel message of truth and love be seen and heard?

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jeannestreetmedium · 3 years ago

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Safeguarding Your Energy

Welcome to today's episode of Angels Don't Lie with your host Jeanne Street. Today’s episode is centered around self-protection, preservation and safeguarding our energy; how to protect and heal ourselves.

Safeguarding our energy doesn’t come from avoiding or cutting people out of our lives. Yes, it may seem like doing so would offer a relief from this negative and depleting energy, but these actions are actually opposing energies of love.

In order to truly heal and protect our energy we must first look into what we are focusing our thoughts and energies on….

There is a reason why you have been led to listen today, you may be healing, or looking for guidance in your life; to raise your vibration, feel uplifted and connected to a Divine higher power and your higher self - no matter where you are on your journey and path, you’re in the perfect place. We hope you enjoy the 204th episode of Angels Don’t Lie.

Scriptures from Today’s Episode:

Luke 11:33-36 | The Light in You

33 No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it under a (bushel basket), but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light.

34 The Lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness.

36 Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness. If your whole body is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness.

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seekfirstme · 3 years ago

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I will shine my little light.

"Jesus said to his disciples,

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?" (Mark 4: 21).

Thursday 27 January 2022 in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Angela Merici (1474 - 1540), Virgin. Born in Italy, she founded the Ursuline Order, "the first women teaching order approved by the Church... St Angela believed that the formation of Christian women is society's greatest need." (Roman Missal).

In Baptism, we receive the light of Christ. As we participate in the Sacraments and the life of the Church, the little light we receive in Baptism grows. Where do you place this light? In the lampstand or in the closet?

To hide your light is futile. Like a barren fig tree, you will be found out.

"For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light." (Mark 4: 22).

It is more exciting to share the light you have. Imagine the people who are desperate for it here and now. But you may say: I don't know what to say. You have the Holy Spirit. Ask Him. Do you have the desire? If not, ask the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes two promises with regard to our engagement with His word:

#1. "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you."

#2. "To the one who has, more will be given."

And a warning:

"From the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Mark 4: 24 - 25).

"A lamp to my feet is your word,

a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105).

Jesus invites us to "approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust" to participate in the work of Evangelization. (Cf Hebrews 10: 22)

His promise is trustworthy.

Amen! I accept Your word dear Jesus. I am the light of the world. It is Your intention that I be placed on a lampstand. Praise, honor and glory be to You. You want me to shine. I will. May the Father be fully glorified in me and in my work.

There is a time to learn and a time to teach. There is a time to be under the bushel basket and a time to be set on a lampstand. Today I am under a bushel basket. Where are you now?

When the student is ready, the Teacher appears.

"Today [while you were reading], I did not speak to you directly, but I spoke to you through My word, enlightening your heart as you read it, listening to Me. This is the way I would have you read the Scriptures always. Read what is written but incline the ear of your heart to My voice, which speaks to souls inwardly and gives light and understanding to those who seek it. I am present to you when you open the Scriptures and I want to enlighten you and instruct you. When you read My word, seek My Heart. When you read the Scriptures, seek My Face. You will find My Heart hidden in My word like the treasure hidden in the field, and you will discover My Face shining through the text and illuminating the eyes of your soul." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, January 24, 2008).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

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rudyscuriocabinet · 6 years ago

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The Lord said to his apostles: "You are the light of the world." How accurate they are, those analogies our Lord uses in referring to our fathers in the faith! He calls "salt" those who teach us God's wisdom and "light" those who dispel from our hearts the blindness and obscurity of our doubt. So it is very right that the apostles should receive this name of light. In the darkness of this world they proclaim the brightness of heaven, the splendor of eternity. Didn't Peter become a light for the whole world and for all the faithful when he said to the Lord: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"? (Mt 16:16) What greater enlightenment could the human race have received than to learn through Peter that the Son of the living God was the creator of its own light? And Saint Paul was no less a great light for the world. While all the earth was blinded by the darkness of its misdeeds, he was raised even to heaven (2Cor 12:2) and, on his return, made known the mysteries of the everlasting glory. That is why he could neither hide himself, as in the case of the city set on a hilltop, nor let himself be put under a bushel measure, since Christ, by the light of his majesty, had set him alight like a chosen lamp filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Hence, my friends, if, renouncing the illusory things of this world, we have at heart to seek out the savor of God's wisdom, let us taste the salt of the apostles.

Sermon attributed to Saint Maximus of Turin (d. 420), ��you are the salt of the earth’, Matthew 5:13-16

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 6 years ago

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12th June >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 5:13-16 for Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘You are the light of the world’.

Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Matthew 5:13-16

Your light must shine in the sight of men

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’

Gospel (USA)

Matthew 5:13-16

You are the light of the world.

Reflections (7)

(i) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

This morning’s gospel reading follows on immediately from the account of the beatitudes, which was yesterday’s gospel reading. Jesus is saying that those who live out the attitudes and values portrayed in the beatitudes are, in reality, salt of the earth and light of the world. The way of life to which Jesus calls us is with a view to the whole earth, to the whole world. Jesus always had the world in view when he called his first disciples, and when he calls us. He calls us to follow in his way, to live by his values and attitudes, not just for our own sakes but for the sake of all humanity. To the extent that we live the gospel, others will benefit, whether we are aware of that or not. To the extent that we fail to live the gospel, others are being deprived. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Lord’s Spirit, we become a light for others. Indeed, Jesus says in the gospel reading that we have a responsibility to be a light for others. ‘Your light must shine in the sight of all’. Jesus is saying, ‘if you have a light – and you do – you must let it shine’. To let our light shine is to do what the gospel reading calls ‘good works’, those works that give expression to the gospel values and attitudes that are found in the Beatitudes. It is these good works that will bring God’s light into a darkened world. These good works are not with a view to drawing people’s attention to ourselves, but, rather, to God who inspires them. We do them so that, in the words of the gospel reading, people ‘may give praise to your Father in heaven’.

And/Or

(ii) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Yesterday we heard the gospel of the beatitudes. Jesus now declares that those who live by the values expressed in the beatitudes become salt of the earth and light of the world. As salt does for food, they will enhance the lives of other. Like a lamp on a stand, they will bring light, God’s light, into a darkened world. If the values of the beatitudes shape our lives, it will lead to the doing of what this morning’s gospel calls ‘good works’. An example of such good works is to be found in this morning’s first reading. A poor widow shares the very little she has with the prophet Elijah. It seemed like a foolish thing to do, from a merely human perspective. It was a time of famine and she just about had enough for herself and her son. Yet, she shared the little she had. Like the widow in the gospel reading who put all she had into the temple treasury, she gave out of her poverty. In giving out of her poverty, she went on to discover that she received more than she gave. There are times in our lives when we can be called upon to give generously out of our poverty; such good works will always give praise and glory to God, in the words of this morning’s gospel reading.

And/Or

(iii) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

In Ireland, wherever the land is mountainous or hilly, towns and villages tend to be built in the valleys where there is shelter from the wind and the rain of Winter. In Italy and, also in Palestine, where Jesus lived, towns and villages in hilly or mountainous areas tend to be built on top of the hills rather than in the valleys because in the heat of Summer the hill-top is a much more pleasant place to be than the valley. The saying of Jesus in the gospel reading reflects that practice; Jesus speaks of a city or a town built on a hill-top. Such a city cannot be hidden; it is visible for all to see. Nazareth, where Jesus grew up was such a hill-top town which was visible from the valley below and the hills around. Jesus was saying to his disciples, and to us, ‘like a city on a hill-top you cannot be hidden’. The light of Christ has shone in our hearts; we are to let that light shine, rather than try to hide it. Jesus identifies letting our light shine with the doing of good works, the kind of works that the values of the beatitudes inspire, the works that tend to be performed by the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for what is right, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers. Such good works typified the life of Saint Columba. Within the circumstances of our own particular lives, we too are called to do the good words inspired by the values of the beatitudes, so that the light of Christ may continue to shine through us today.

And/Or

(iv) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

This morning’s first reading is the story of a widow who had very little of this world’s goods at her disposal. In a time of drought and famine she only had enough food for herself and her son. Yet, she was persuaded to share the little she had with Elijah the prophet. When she shared the little she had, she discovered that she never ran short. She discovered in her own life the truth of what Jesus was to say many hundreds of years later, ‘give and it will be given to you… the measure you give will be the measure you get back’. This is the gospel paradox - it is in giving that we receive. This is the case whether what we give is in terms of material resources or our gifts or our time or our energy. Many people have discovered that from their own experience. In the gospel reading, Jesus calls on us to let our light shine, to give generously of what we have at our disposal. Letting our light shine shows itself in what Jesus refers to as ‘good works’. Jesus also reminds us of the ultimate reason why we give of ourselves, what we engage in good works. It is so that God may be praised. In giving of ourselves, we do not look to be praised; we look for God to be praised.

And/Or

(v) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Salt has something of a negative press at the moment. Some of our foods have too much salt in them, more salt that is healthy. Yet, in the time of Jesus, salt had a very positive profile. It was used to preserve and also to flavour food. When Jesus said to his disciples, ‘you are the salt of the earth’, he was reminding them of their identity and of their calling as his disciples. Jesus does not spell out what he means by the image of salt when he applies it to his disciples. He may be implying that as salt enhances the flavour of food, they are to enhance the lives of others by the values that they proclaim and live by. As disciples we are called to be present to our world in a way that helps to preserve what is best there and that adds a dimension, a flavour, that would not otherwise be there. We are called to make a difference for the better. That saying about salt comes immediately after the beatitudes. Jesus seems to be saying that in so far as we are people of the beatitudes, in so far as we live by the values proclaimed in the beatitudes, we will make a difference for the better in our world; we will enhance the lives of those who come within our sphere of influence.

And/Or

(vi) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

The first reading is the story of a widow who had a very small amount of food for herself and her son to eat in a time of famine. The prophet asked her to share some of the little she had. Understandably she was very slow to do so but eventually she did what Elijah asked. She shared the very little food that she had. In doing so she discovered that the Lord provided for her in abundance. We are reminded of another widow in the gospels; she put a very small amount into the Temple treasury but in doing so was praised by Jesus because she gave all she had to live on. Both widows gave generously from the little they have. Both widows remind us that generosity is measured not by the amount we give but by what we give in proportion to what we have. Those who give a little can be much more generous than those who give a lot. Real generosity leaves us vulnerable. That was the generosity that characterized the life of Jesus. He gave of himself unto death, death on a cross. When we display in our lives something of his generosity then we become what Jesus calls us to be in today’s gospel reading, the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Generosity can take many forms, generosity of heart, of spirit, of mind, as well as generosity with what we possess, whether it be our material resources or our time or our gifts. The first reading suggests that whenever we are generous even with the little we have, we create an opening in our lives for the Lord to be generous with us.

And/Or

(vii) Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s gospel reading follows on immediately from the gospel of the beatitudes. Jesus is declaring that it is those who live by the values proclaimed in the beatitudes who are salt of the earth and light of the world. The horizon of both these images is very wide, ‘earth’ and ‘world’. The way of life that Jesus describes in the beatitudes, the way of life for his disciples, is with a view to the earth and the world. Jesus envisages that those who live by the values of the beatitudes will have an impact for good far beyond their own circle. The images of salt and light capture something of this impact for good. Salt was a very important commodity in the world of Jesus. It was used to preserve food and to enhance its flavour. Jesus’ disciples, by living the beatitudes, are called to preserve what is best in the world and to enhance the lives of others. In a culture without electricity, the flickering light of a lamp or torch was essential when darkness fell. It allowed people to find their way without damaging themselves or others. Jesus is declaring that when his followers live by the beatitudes, their resultant good works are like a light in a dark world, showing people the way. This is not with a view to Jesus’ followers drawing attention to themselves but so as to lead people to give glory and praise to God who has inspired such a way of life. The gospel reading reminds us that individually and as a community of faith we have been entrusted with a world-wide mission as disciples of the Lord.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.

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27th June >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saturday, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

Cry out to the Lord over the fortresses of daughter Zion.

The Lord has consumed without pity

all the dwellings of Jacob;

He has torn down in his anger

the fortresses of daughter Judah;

He has brought to the ground in dishonor

her king and her princes.

On the ground in silence sit

the old men of daughter Zion;

They strew dust on their heads

and gird themselves with sackcloth;

The maidens of Jerusalem

bow their heads to the ground.

Worn out from weeping are my eyes,

within me all is in ferment;

My gall is poured out on the ground

because of the downfall of the daughter of my people,

As child and infant faint away

in the open spaces of the town.

In vain they ask their mothers,

“Where is the grain?”

As they faint away like the wounded

in the streets of the city,

And breathe their last

in their mothers’ arms.

To what can I liken or compare you,

O daughter Jerusalem?

What example can I show you for your comfort,

virgin daughter Zion?

For great as the sea is your downfall;

who can heal you?

Your prophets had for you

false and specious visions;

They did not lay bare your guilt,

to avert your fate;

They beheld for you in vision

false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;

moan, O daughter Zion!

Let your tears flow like a torrent

day and night;

Let there be no respite for you,

no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,

at the beginning of every watch;

Pour out your heart like water

in the presence of the Lord;

Lift up your hands to him

for the lives of your little ones

Who faint from hunger

at the corner of every street.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?

Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember your flock which you built up of old,

the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,

Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;

toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.

Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;

they have set up their tokens of victory.

They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.

They set your sanctuary on fire;

the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,

for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.

May the humble not retire in confusion;

may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

R/ Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 8:17

Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 8:5-17

Many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.

When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

————————-

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.

Beloved: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 21-22, 25 and 27

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

The favors of the Lord I will sing forever;

through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.

For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;

in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever will I confirm your posterity

and establish your throne for all generations.”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“I have found David, my servant;

with my holy oil I have anointed him,

That my hand may be always with him,

and that my arm may make him strong.”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,

and through my name shall his horn be exalted.

He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,

my God, the Rock, my savior.’”

R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:16

Alleluia, alleluia.

Let your light shine before others

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 5:13-19

You are the light of the world.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

——————————

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

I will put enmity between your offspring and the offspring of the woman.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me– she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned

from all the animals

and from all the wild creatures;

On your belly shall you crawl,

and dirt shall you eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

He will strike at your head,

while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“My heart exults in the Lord,

my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies;

I rejoice in my victory.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,

while the hungry batten on spoil.

The barren wife bears seven sons,

while the mother of many languishes.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“The Lord puts to death and gives life;

he casts down to the nether world;

he raises up again.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich,

he humbles, he also exalts.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

“He raises the needy from the dust;

from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,

To seat them with nobles

and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

R/ My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

cf. Luke 1:45

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

cf. Luke 2:19

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God

and observe it.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;

from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;

without dying you won the martyr’s crown

beneath the Cross of the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Either:

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-23

For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 12:46-50

Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, here are my mother and my brothers.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:39-47

Blessed is she who believed.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:1-14

She gave birth to her firstborn son.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:15b-19

Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:27-35

You yourself a sword will pierce.

Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled;

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

Your father and I have been looking for you.

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 11:27-28

Blessed is the womb that carried you.

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 2:1-11

The mother of Jesus was there.

There was a wedding in Cana at Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. 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 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.” 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.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 19:25-27

Behold, your son. Behold, your mother.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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leonbloder · 4 years ago

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The Right Direction of Love and Light

For those of us living in Texas, this past week has been absolutely exhausting. Even as I sit here now, I feel as though I could sleep a week. The winter storm that crippled the state, left many of us without power, and in my house, we were without water for five days.

One of the many things that I was struck by during the entire ordeal was how so many neighbors and communities came together to help one another. My church had a long list of people who were willing to take in people who were without power.

Others checked on our most vulnerable members repeatedly to ensure they were okay. We even had a roster of folks who were willing to drive their 4x4 vehicles on the icy roads to retrieve people, deliver groceries or respond to emergencies.

I heard from more than one member about how their neighbors checked on them and even took them into their homes. Groups of neighbors pooled their resources when they were running out of water, and some of them organized neighborhood cookouts with their gas grills when they had no power.

In spite of the stress of the last year, the global pandemic, all of the unrest, uncertainty, and worry that permeates our culture, it's wonderful to see that there are still so many of us who haven't lost sight of our shared humanity, and who still know how to love.

I read this awesome quote from the philosopher Alan Watt, and it speaks to what I'm feeling this morning:

There is no problem of how to love. We love. We are love, and the only problem is the direction of love, whether it is to go straight out like sunlight, or to try to turn back on itself like a ‘candle under a bushel.’

The "problem" of the direction of our love is something that we all have to answer. It comes down to a simple question: Will you hide the light of your love or will you let it shine for all the world to see?

Watt references a passage of Scripture where Jesus exhorts his followers to shine their light, to love in such a way that people see and experience that love as the very love of God. He told them:

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:15-17, NIV)

This past week I saw so many examples of people directing their love "straight out like sunlight," as they gave of themselves and what they had in service to others. It was amazing to experience, quite honestly. And in the midst of my own struggles and stress, it gave me hope.

The examples of people shining the light of their love straight out away from themselves far outnumbered the examples of those who chose another direction. This is the kind of thing that renews your faith in humanity and warms your heart during even the coldest days.

It's easy to see the difference that directing the light of our love outward into the world can make. In fact, it makes all the difference in the world.

May you not only experience the light of love from others today... may you also send your light in the right direction as well. May you know what it means to give love and feel love. May you never hide your light from the world---rather may you share it as freely as it has been given from the Source of all love, who loved us (and all of Creation) and gave himself for us.

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.

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reedreadsgreek · 4 years ago

Text

Mark 4:21–25

21 Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Μήτι ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην; οὐχ ἵνα ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν τεθῇ; 22 οὐ γάρ ἐστιν κρυπτὸν ἐὰν μὴ ἵνα φανερωθῇ, οὐδὲ ἐγένετο ἀπόκρυφον ἀλλʼ ἵνα ἔλθῃ εἰς φανερόν. 23 εἴ τις ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω. 24 Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Βλέπετε τί ἀκούετε. ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν καὶ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. 25 ὃς γὰρ ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ· καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.

My translation:

21 And he was saying to them, “Does the lamp come in order that it might be put under the basket or under the bed? 22 Is it not that it might be put on the lampstand? 22 For nothing is hidden except that it might be revealed, nor was concealed but that it might come into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, he must hear.” 24 And he was saying to them, “Watch what you hear. By which measure you measure, it will be measured to you and it will be added to you. 25 For who has, it will be given to him; and who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

Notes:

Verse 21

Jesus is the understood subject of the imperfect ἔλεγεν (from λέγω); NASB: “He was saying”; ESV: “he said”. αὐτοῖς is the indirect object; EGGNT says the pronoun refers to the larger crowd of followers, Jesus likely having left the aside with his close disciples. ICC says this phrase indicates a change of subject.

The interrogative particle μήτι, from μή + τί, is used to introduce a question expecting a “No” answer (“A lamp isn’t ..., is it?”).

ὁ λύχνος, “the lamp”, is the subject of ἔρχεται (from ἔρχομαι). Since a lamp does not ‘come’, most English versions translate ἔρχεται as if it were a passive of φέρω, “is brought”. However, EGGNT says that the lamp is a metaphor for Jesus himself; this is also in line with the use of the article, “the lamp” rather than “a lamp”. ICC, on the other hand, says the lamp represents ‘the light that is in you’; NIGTC regards the lamp as Jesus’s revelation about the kingdom of God.

τεθῇ (from τίθημι) is subjunctive (present) after ἵνα. The ἵνα purpose clause (“in order that it might be put”) is often rendered in English with a passive infinitive (“to be put”, most translations).

ὁ μόδιος (3x) is ‘a container for dry goods holding up to eight liters’ (HELPS), i.e. “a bushel [basket]” (NRSV); most translations, “basket”; NIV: “bowl”. NET translation notes say it could be translated “basket, box, bowl”. The locative prepositional phrase ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον modifies τίθημι.

ἡ κλίνη (9x) here is, “couch”, “bed” (most translations), from κλίνω (7x), “I lay, recline”. ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην after ἢ (“or”) modifies another assumed τεθῇ.

οὐχ introduces a question expecting a “Yes” answer (“Is it not ... ?”).

Another ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος is assumed after ἵνα.

ἡ λυχνία (12x) is “lamp stand”, from ὁ λύχνος “lamp”. The locative prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν modifies τεθῇ (from τίθημι).

Verse 22

The adjective κρυπτός (19x) is, “hidden”, from κρύπτω (18x) “I hide, conceal”. EGGNT notes that the neuter κρυπτὸν, the predicate of ἐστιν, indicates that the assumed subject of ἐστιν is, “nothing”.

ἐὰν μὴ here is, “except”.

φανερωθῇ (from φανέρω) is subjunctive (aorist passive) after ἵνα. The phrase ἐὰν μὴ ἵνα φανερωθῇ, literally “except that it might be revealed”, is generally rendered with an infinitive: “except to be revealed” (NASB, HCSB, NET); “except to be made manifest” (ESV); “to be disclosed” (NRSV, NIV). The purpose clause indicates that the hidden things are divine things which are temporarily hidden with the intention of being later revealed. This meshes with understanding the “lamp” as Jesus, whose ministry was at that time kept on the down-low, but was eventually to be proclaimed to the world.

The adjective ἀπόκρυφος (3x), from ἀπό + κρυπτός (above), is “hidden away” (cf. ἀποκρύπτω, 4x, “I hide away”). NIGTC says ‘ἀπόκρυφος is a synonym for κρυπτός, but one which carries extra connotations, as the word is typically used of secret wisdom or knowledge, both in pagan literature and increasingly in Jewish and Christian writing.’ ἀπόκρυφον is the predicate of ἐγένετο (from γίνομαι), and the subject is again the implied “nothing”. γίνομαι could be interchangeable with εἰμί above, although ICC says γίνομαι points ‘to the act of hiding’, and εἰμί to the state.

ἀλλ’ ἵνα functions parallel to ἐὰν μὴ ἵνα above.

The adjective φανερός (18x) is, “visible, clear, evident”. As a substantive with εἰς, EGGNT says the meaning is, “into the open” (NIV); most other translations: “to light”

The purpose clause ἵνα with the aorist subjunctive ἔλθῃ (from ἔρχομαι) is again rendered in English by an infinitive: “to come” (ESV, HCSB); NIV: “to be brought out”.

Verse 23

This verse is identical to verse 9, except that the relative pronoun ὃς (“[He] who”) is replaced by the conditional εἴ τις (“If anyone”). NIGTC says that the saying ‘alerts the hearer/reader that these are also parabolic sayings, to be noted and interpreted with care.’

εἰ introduces the protasis of a conditional statement.

The indefinite pronoun τις (“anyone”) is the subject of the present ἔχει (from ἔχω); ὦτα (“ears”) is the direct object. The present infinitive ἀκούειν (from ἀκούω) is epexegetical of ὦτα (“ears that hear”).

The apodosis of the conditional statement consists solely of the present imperative ἀκουέτω (from ἀκούω). ESV & NASB’s reading “let him hear” may come across as giving permission; better is, “should listen” (HCSB, NLT), “listen!” (NRSV), “had better listen” (NET); CEV: “pay attention!”

Verse 24

Jesus is the understood subject of the imperfect ἔλεγεν (from λἐγω). αὐτοῖς is the indirect object.

BDAG says the meaning of the present imperative Βλέπετε (from βλέπω, “see, watch”) here is, ‘to process information by giving thought,’ i.e., “direct one’s attention to something, consider, note”. ESV, HCSB: “Pay attention”; NIV: “Consider carefully”; NASB, NET: “Take care”. The direct object of the present ἀκούετε (from ἀκούω) is τί, “what”. The subordinate clause τί ἀκούετε is the direct object of βλέπω. The idea here does not seem to be, “Beware what you choose to listen to”, but rather, “Consider my words”. NIGTC says Βλέπετε τί ἀκούετε is probably equivalent to βλέπετε πῶς ἀκούετε (Lk. 8:18).

τό μέτρον (14x) is, “measure” (most translations; NASB: “standard of measure”), from μετρέω (see below).

μετρέω (11x) is, “I measure”. μετρεῖτε is a present indicative, modified by the instrumental ᾧ which is cataphoric, pointing forward to μέτρῳ. ICC says the element being measured out is “truth”. What exactly is being measured is not stated here; in Matthew 7:2, it is judgment (NIGTC).

The future passive μετρηθήσεται (from μετρέω) is impersonal (“it will be measured”). The verb is modified by the whole instrumental prepositional phrase ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε (“by which measure you measure it will be measured to you”. ὑμῖν is the indirect object, indicating either advantage or disadvantage, depending on how gracious your own measure is.

προστίθημι (18x), from πρός + τίθημι, is “I add to”. The impersonal future passive προστεθήσεται (“it will be added to you”) could also be modified by ἐν μέτρῳ along with μετρηθήσεται (“it will be measured and added to you”, HCSB, ICC), or it could denote an additional idea and have the implied subject “more” (“more will be given”, NASB; sim. ESV, NIV, NET). If the latter, then the idea here is that God will multiply your own standard; if you have a high standard for how you treat others, you will be treated even better, but if you treat others poorly, you will treated even worse. However, ICC says this goes against the idea of reciprocity communicated in the first half of the verse. NIGTC says προστίθημι is simply used to indicate a positive sense to μετρέω. Some manuscripts lack καὶ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν, probably owing to homoeoteleuton (the copyist’s eye jumping from ὑμῖν to ὑμῖν); its inclusion is rated an {A} by the UBS Committee (Metzger).

Verse 25

The relative pronoun ὃς is the subject of ἔχει (from ἔχω). The verbs in this verse have no direct object given, and probably is intended to refer to anything & everything; NLT inserts the direct object, “understanding”.

αὐτῷ, referring to ὃς, is the indirect object of the impersonal future passive δοθήσεται (from δίδωμι).

ὃς is again the subject of ἔχει (from ἔχω), negated by οὐκ.

The relative pronoun ὃ acts as its own antecedent (“that which”), the direct object of both the present ἔχει (from ἔχω) and the future passive ἀρθήσεται (from αἴρω): “that which he has will be taken away”. καὶ here is, “even”, modifying ἔχω. αἴρω is modified by the spatial prepositional phrase ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.

#Mark #Mark 4 #Jesus #textual variant

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