#I feel like Moses after he got the 10 commandments or something

[tourniquetring]

i won't release it publicly but I just got confirmation from Evenson himself that Last Days sequel is dropping 2025/2026 guys this is huge (for me)

[angelthefirst1]

Gone 102 - main takeaways.

Besides the connection to Beth being just GONE.

The other MASSIVE takeaway for me in this episode is the symbolic fulfilment of Christ ✝️ being found or returning...

Christ... is that him? ✝️

Michonne nods. Yes...

Rick becomes Beth as the Christ figure. He is part of the CRM or Trinity (God)

If Rick came back with the fulfillment of coming/returning Christ symbolism, then so will Beth they are one and the same in many ways.

The writers seem to be using both of them to portray the first and second comings of Christ.

Beginning to end.

I'm seeing a portrayal of the Old Testament to a degree by showing Rick symbolically as the first coming of Christ who came to die in order to fulfill the law.

The Old Testament (the 10 commandments specifically) is known as the law.

I've gotta say, seeing the symbolism, I'm worried Rick might actually die at some point in order to change the CRM and bring in something new.

More symbolism from the Old Testament...

We see the literal parting of the Dead (Red) Sea 🌊

And Michonne gets knocked off her horse 🐎

The parting of the red (dead) sea is an interesting addition because for those who don't know the story, Moses leads a caravan of Israelites out of Egypt and across the red sea.

Moses used a bostaff. Michonne later lies to the CRM and tells them her weapon of choice was a bostaff.

The Egyptians come after them and get knocked of their horses 🐎 and drown in the red sea. 🌊

Later that night, Michonne talks about knowing a story well and getting knocked off her horse to Bailey and Aidan. What story? The parting of the red sea...

After the Red Sea, the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years, during which time God talked to Moses through the burning bush and he also gives Moses the 10 commandments to give to the people (also known as the law)

We have seen this Moses symbolism before in season 5 right around the time of Beth being found and then "dying." So I'm SUPER excited to be seeing it again.

When the group gets to Father Gabriel's Church in season 5, we see Carol look at the ten commandments (the law) and Michonne specifically looks at drawings depicting Moses in the river, the burning bush and the Israelites being led by Moses through the desert for 40 years. Rick like Moses was placed in the river (baby Moses was placed in a river), and God (CRM) saved him.

It's during the 40 years Moses gets given the law or commandments.

We also saw the group in season 5 desperate for water depicting the desert wandering.

Now, there was an interview back in season 5 with Andrew Lincoln (which I annoyingly can't find now), and he made a point of saying that the beard and leading the group to Alexandria safe zone (the promised land) made him feel like Moses.

Everything gets a return and we are repeating season 5 as well as season 1 mixed together.

A few more Beth and post Grady related bits...

We see the sisters (a representation of Maggie and Beth) One of whom is labelled as "Jesus Christ" and was "left behind" thought to be dead.

Nat, as a representation of Daryl, is furious as he wanted to go after Beth, after Grady (indicating she got left behind as we've always suspected) but they stopped him.

Maggie (the sister), in season 5, must have played a part in not wanting to risk more people trying to find Beth.

Nat is also a representation of beginning to end ♾️ losing and finding Beth all in this one moment.

The "dead," "left behind" sister, "Jesus Christ," returns and gets the reunion with Nat (Daryl), who is shocked to see her.

Lastly, we saw more hints at Beth's recovery post, Grady.

The group gets bombed, and luckily, there are medical supplies nearby (oxygen, a wink to Maddison from FTWD), and to recover, they stay a long time in one place...

Years have gone by, and Beth will be returning soon, because just like Rick she is (Symbolically) Jesus Christ...

Lastly, really this time...the symbolism for Rick as Christ was also seen in episode 1, we saw Rick pull the King of Hearts ❤️ card in poker, giving him a winning hand of a straight Ace high.

I talked about the poker game being a rework of Beth's "death" in the Grady hallway with Thorne as Dawn in my 101 post.

Christ is also called the King of Kings 🤴 so while they didn't give Rick the cross symbolism like Beth got at Grady. They did use a different symbol, the "King" symbolism to portray the same thing.

❤️🤴❤️♾️❤️🤴❤️

[princeofgod-2021]

LIGHT OF LIFE 495

John 1:4

DIVINE ORDER 60: Law Of The Tree Of Knowledge 8

Gen 2:16-17 But the LORD told him, "You may eat fruit from any tree in the garden, EXCEPT THE ONE THAT HAS THE POWER TO LET YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. IF YOU EAT ANY FRUIT FROM THAT TREE, YOU WILL DIE BEFORE THE DAY IS OVER!" CEV

COMPLETE LAW 1

The Principal point by which the devil deceived Eve, was convincing her to believe that her Destiny was being Deprived.

She got to the point of accepting that she was “missing out” on something really grand. That made the Divine Law look like a diminishing implement.

Gen 3:4-5 The snake replied, "THAT'S NOT TRUE; YOU WILL NOT DIE. GOD SAID THAT BECAUSE HE KNOWS that when you eat it, YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD AND KNOW what is good and what is bad." GNB

It must [indeed] take a master conman to convince Man that the one “restraining” Law, which forms only about 1% of all Laws, is what makes his life incomplete if given regard.

But we can’t totally blame satan over man’s failure, and this is why…

Gen 3:6 WHEN THE WOMAN SAW that the tree produced fruit that was GOOD FOR FOOD, was ATTRACTIVE TO THE EYE, and was DESIRABLE FOR MAKING ONE WISE, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it TO HER HUSBAND WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate it. NET

Before the Woman ate the Fruit, she took time to convince herself that she was about to take the right step.

Note that her own convictions (Good & Attractive food) came before the “deceiving point” (become like God).

So, did their disobedience make them complete?

Gen 3:7 THEN THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, AND THEY BOTH REALIZED THAT THEY WERE NAKED. They sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves. GW

Beloved, it is actually WHEN you disobey God’s Laws that you FEEL incomplete. When you are living in contravention of Divine Rules, you always have a sense of nakedness & fear.

Gen 3:10 The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I WAS FRIGHTENED AND HID!" CEV

Sinners are always petrified whenever they sense or see evil around them, why?

Their lives are a confirmed portrait of enemies of, and rebellion before God.

Heb 10:26-27 For IF WE DO EVIL ON PURPOSE AFTER WE HAVE HAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS TRUE, there is no more offering for sins, But ONLY A GREAT FEAR OF BEING JUDGED, and of the FIRE OF WRATH which will be the DESTRUCTION OF THE HATERS OF GOD. BBE

Even when you keep all Laws except just one, you will feel uncomfortable and unfulfilled.

Mat 19:16,20 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”…The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” NET

The “one Law” you failed to keep could make you feel like you’ve kept none at all.

Jas 2:10 You might follow ALL of God's law. But if you fail to obey ONLY ONE command, you are GUILTY OF BREAKING ALL THE COMMANDS IN THAT LAW. ERV

Meanwhile, we all should know that in a broader context, the “Law of Moses” is imperfect.

Heb 7:18-19 For there is verily a DISANNULLING of the commandment going before fOR THE WEAKNESS AND UNPROFITABLENESS thereof. FOR THE LAW MADE NOTHING PERFECT, but the bringing in of a better hope did; BY THE WHICH WE DRAW NIGH UNTO GOD. KJV

This is the Context of LAW where men attempt to make themselves “clean” before God, through ORDINANCES of goat’s blood and and endless sacrifices.

Heb 10:3-4 As it is, however, THE SACRIFICES SERVE YEAR AFTER YEAR TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THEIR SINS. FOR THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS. GNB

The intent of LAW was to show MAN his weakness, and how much they needed God.

Gal 3:19 WHAT, THEN, IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAWS GIVEN TO MOSES? THEY WERE ADDED TO IDENTIFY WHAT WRONGDOING IS. Moses' laws did this until the descendant to whom the promise was given came. It was put into effect through angels, using a mediator. GW

May we never be at the wrong end of the LAW, IN JESUS NAME.

Come back on Friday, as we proceed in digging into this inspiring Subtopic.

Brother Prince

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

08055125517; 08023904307

[nevermindirah]

Yitzhak!

is a character! who Gregadiah What-Is-Math Rucka gave us almost no information about!

I've gone through Tales Through Time #6: The Bear and #1: My Mother's Axe with several magnifying glasses and done a lot of googling and taken my copy of the Tanakh off my shelf for the first time since (well, since the last time I needed to read Torah for TOG reasons, which I think was Booker Passover headcanons) and here's the best I can come up with.

In The Bear we meet someone who goes by the name Isaac Blue:

Read on for a lot of comic panel analysis and historical research and Jewish flailing!

So what do we know about this Isaac Blue person?

He's Lorge, he's got curly hair, he's basically a taller version of Joe as drawn by Leandro Fernández (ie an antisemitic stereotype why the fuck did they approve this character design?? and then why did they double down and copy-paste it to Yitzhak??):

He's got a mezuzah on the doorpost of his house in Alaska!

I screamed about the mezuzah way back in January in this post where I (very reasonably) assumed this character was Joe and spun myself a tale about how Booker is still Joe's brother so the mezuzah stays up even though Booker isn't welcome in that house for a century. Bottom line: the mezuzah is a tradition with origins in the commandment from Deuteronomy 6:9 to "write the words of G-d on the gates and doorposts of your house" and evolved over the course of the Rabbinic period into the modern mezuzah we see here.

I did unnecessary levels of google image search to glean absolutely no useful information about Yitzhak’s origins from this panel:

I've decided the variant cover of TTT 6 is Yitzhak because of a panel in My Mother’s Axe, shown here, and what's likely an unnecessarily deep reading of Exodus, discussed further down:

The person at the right of the bottom panel is wearing the same clothes as in the TTT 6 variant cover and has the same shoulder-length curly hair and hairy forearms.

Left to right, the people in this panel are Lykon (I'll never get used to him being white in the comics), Andy, Noriko (I think? why doesn't Andy mention her by name here?), and Yitzhak. Andy's robe has a stereotypically Greek design on the sleeve cuff, and I had to stop myself 10 minutes into a Wikipedia rabbit hole because Gregorforth doesn't think that deep about this shit. The solid clues as to timeline that we get in this panel are:

Andy's iron axe

the presence of Lykon, who Andy first met in 331 BCE

So all we know is that Yitzhak is an immortal, he was a contemporary of Lykon, and he's Jewish.

Isaac is the most common Anglicization of Yitzhak (which in turn is the most common Anglophone transliteration of יִצְחָק‎), and Greg always uses the (transliterated) Hebrew when he refers to this character. Yitzhak is the long-awaited child of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis, the child who G-d commanded Abraham to sacrifice but spared at the last minute. I see what you did there, Gregory.

Why Isaac Blue? This is where I pulled out my Tanakh. According to the New JPS translation, blue is the first of three colors of yarn listed in Exodus 35:6 among the gifts requested of the Israelites to construct the priestly garments for the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Then in Numbers 15:38 the Israelites are commanded to "make themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner."

And now for sandbox timelines party! Gregadiah gave us ALMOST NOTHING to go on, so I'm gonna make my own fun.

I, like many modern Jews, think the stories in the Tanakh are foundational mythology that are valuable because of how they've shaped our people but that contain some fucked-up shit and either way aren't meant to be a record of historical facts. Modern scholarship generally agrees that the community we now call Jews emerged as a distinct group of Canaanites sometime in the late Bronze Age (cw this video's host says the Name of G-d aloud despite being a religious studies scholar who knows that is not a name anyone but the Temple priests are allowed to say). The first non-Biblical written record of the people Israel is from an Egyptian source c. 1200 BCE, and the Biblical kingdom of David and Solomon was probably an exaggeration of whatever really happened during the Bronze Age Collapse. We start getting into historical-fact territory a few centuries into the Iron Age:

588 BCE Solomon's Temple destroyed, Babylonian exile begins

538 BCE Cyrus of Persia allows Jews to return to Jerusalem

515 BCE Second Temple construction complete

332 BCE Alexander the Great At Something I Guess conquered Judea, beginning the Hellenistic period of Jewish history — 331 BCE Andy & Lykon find each other

167 BCE another jerkface Greek king desecrated the Temple and basically outlawed Judaism

164 BCE recapture of Jerusalem and Temple rededication during the Maccabean Revolt

70 CE destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, beginning of the Rabbinic period of Jewish history that we're still in now

What if... and hear me out... what if immortals come in pairs, and the pairs are:

Andy & Quynh

Joe & Nicky

Booker & Nile

LYKON & YITZHAK

What if Yitzhak was a priest of the Second Temple? What if he and Lykon killed each other just like Joe and Nicky would in the same city around 1300 years later, but instead of enemies-to-lovers speedrun with an absurdly long happily-ever-after, when Lykon died permanently Yitzhak decided to separate from Andy and Noriko and become the hermit we later see in Alaska?

We don't know how old Yitzhak is compared to the others, only that he was a contemporary of Lykon at a time when Andy was using an Iron Age version of her mother's axe. Other plausible origins for him:

a Jew of the early Rabbinic period, maybe a child or grandchild of people who were still alive before the Second Temple was destroyed

a Judean of the Second Temple era under the Romans or Greeks or Persians, maybe a priest, maybe not

an exilee in Babylon, maybe of the generation who got to return, maybe of the generation who was exiled (he doesn't look like he was 50 at his first death but who knows, he could've been mortal for both)

an Israelite of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, maybe a priest of Solomon's Temple or again maybe not

an Israelite wandering in the desert with Moses

THEE Yitzhak, ben Avraham v'Sarah, our patriarch who was brought up for sacrifice and then spared, and then spared again, and then spared again, and again, and again...

or! he could also be a Canaanite or other Levantine who predates the people Israel, who at some point in his very long life chose to join our mixed multitude, who like Andromache before him (and like Avram and Sarai would in this case do after him) took a new name to reflect the magnitude of influence this people has had on him

Why do I keep saying Yitzhak might have been a priest? It's thanks to the one detail in the artwork I could plausibly connect to solid research without getting a PhD real quick. Take a look at the gorgeous detail on the opening of his robe in the TTT 6 cover. He's dressed in rags, holes and dirt everywhere, rough stitches probably from hasty repair work — except for the neck opening. Compare that to this description from Exodus 39:23 of the construction of the priestly garments for the Tabernacle: "The opening of the robe, in the middle of it, was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening, so that it would not tear."

The next verses describe the intricate designs for the hem of the priestly garment. Yitzhak's ragged garment looks like the hem was torn off entirely.

Am I overthinking this? Yes I am! You're welcome!

My friend and historical research hero @lady-writes​ is in a Discord server with Gregadiah and asked the man himself some questions about all this. He clearly thinks he's being sneaky?? No shit Yitzhak is Jewish, dude, I want DETAILS!

I will not be giving up my Jewish Booker headcanon, I've put too much thought into it by now, the internalized shame of antisemitism explains Booker's depression too well for me, and it just adds so much richness to Booker/Nile both being children of forced diasporas. Fortunately (for him, not me, bc I'd do it anyway!) Gregothy supports fan headcanons even when they're not in line with his own:

One last thing before I close like 100 research tabs and go back to writing historical fantasy and/or porn! I love that, despite that atrocious caricature of a face design, our canon Jew and our fanon Jew are both Lorge and Soft and Kind, flying the face of the antisemitic stereotype of Ashkenazi Jewish men as small and weak, but also not falling into the New Jew / Muscle Jew stereotype that Zionism created. (I am trying SO HARD not to talk about Israel/Palestine for once ughhhhhhhhhh) Anyway here's a (US-centric but very good) primer on both these stereotypes of Jewish masculinity. Is this why I'm forever projecting my transmasc diasporist feels onto Jewish Booker the service sub? 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’ll reblog a second version of this with full image descriptions so that there’s a version accessible for folks who need IDs as well as a version accessible for folks who get overwhelmed by walls of text.

[dailyaudiobible]

03/10/2021 DAB Transcript

Numbers 14:1-15:16, Mark 14:53-72, Psalms 53:1-6, Proverbs 11:4

Today is the 10th day of March welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is a joy and a privilege and an honor to be here with you today as we come in out of the cold and take our place around the Global…Global Campfire and just sit back find a comfortable place and know that this is a safe space for us to allow the Scriptures to speak. So, we’re reading from the New International Version this week, picking up where we left off yesterday. Numbers chapter 14 verse 1 through 15 verse 16. And just by way of reminder the children of Israel have left Mount Sinai and they have the law. They have their marching orders. They’re in formation. It's time. It's time for them to experience the fulfillment of the promise, the promised land, the land that has taken centuries…I mean it has taken centuries to bring them to this point. It's time. So, they’ve sent some spies into the land to look things over. And we talked about that yesterday. They have returned and they've essentially said, “we can't…we can't do it. It's…it's a wonderful land but we can’t do it. There are giants there. The people are too strong for us. They’ll destroy us.” That's where we find ourselves. This report has been given and now we find out what happens next. Numbers 14.

Commentary:

Okay. Let's just work from Proverbs backward real quick. So, the Proverbs says that “riches, basically wealth, money on the day of wrath doesn't really have value anymore.” The currency that we would need in that situation would be righteousness. So, it's worthwhile to at least consider what it is we’re trying to store up and accumulate.

We move back into the book of Matthew and it's very clear that we are moving back into the passion narrative of Jesus, who has been arrested and now tried and…and sentenced to die. I don’t want to be overdramatic. It's just we only cover this territory here as we move through the Gospels. And it's like we’ve heard the story so many times that we don't really actually give it gravity. This is the most important story that ever was. And if there were a season of the year that has been a Christian tradition to enter into that story it would be what we’re doing now, observing the…the season of Lent and moving toward holy week and moving toward Good Friday and Easter. So, just pointing it out again. Don't blow by it. Enter into it.

And then we move back into the book of Numbers and we see the repercussions of what the spies who came out of the promised land and reported back to the children of Israel, what happened. They came back and said, “it's a beautiful land be we can't take it” basically. Which discouraged the population, caused all kinds of problems, and then God gives them their instructions – “turn around and go back the way you came. Go back into the desert. Not a single adult person is going into this land.” The people had grumbled against Moses and against God by saying, “you know the…the people are too strong, God has let us out of slavery, has sustained us in the wilderness only to bring us to the threshold of this land to let us go into this land and be killed, and our wives taken, and our children taken as plunder.” That was destiny they had determined was going to happen to them. The sad thing is that those children who they thought were going to be plunder, they were supposed to grow up as the first free generation in the promised land. They were supposed to grow up there. They didn't get to grow up there. God commanded the people into the wilderness and for 40 more years they’ll wander around the wilderness until this generation dies out and then it's children the children who were supposed to grow up free, they're going to have to grow up in the wilderness and then go do what their parents wouldn't. I quote from the book of Numbers, and this is God speaking, “as for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them into enjoy the land you have rejected. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. your children will be shepherds here for 40 years, suffering for your unfaithfulness until the last year bodies lies in the wilderness.” So, it’s gonna be the second generation out of slavery that’d gonna take the promised land when it was time to go in. Here’s the thing. We don't really get to leave the wilderness until we learn the lesson of the wilderness. And the wilderness teaches us there is no hope but God. We are utterly dependent upon God for the next breath and the next step forward. God had done everything to teach His people - drowning the Egyptian army in the sea, cloud by day fire by night, sustenance…food in the middle…in the middle of the wilderness. And I've been in that wilderness many times, that actual wilderness and its wilderness. The only hope of survival was to depend on God, which was the point, as He shaped them and formed them into a community. And they had been shaped and formed. It was time to go in and they never got to see it. This becomes the mirror into our lives when we realize how long we have wondered in the wilderness of our own lives to afraid to face the giants, to afraid to get out of it as we keep circling the wilderness getting more bitter and more angry that we can't be delivered and that God’s keeping us down and that He’s holding us back when it is actually our fear and mistrust of Him and His timing. Because we can just decide, “I'm getting out of this wilderness. I don't care.” And we just move forward and get wiped out. The next day the children of Israel decided they were willing to obey God after all and they got a bunch of people together to go into the promised land. And Moses told them God's not going and you shouldn’t go either. And they just demanded their own way again and they got wiped out. We could look at all this and feel like it's kinda harsh or maybe harsh judgment or whatever, but…but the thing is, until they learn these foundational truths as a people, they won’t…they’ll never survive. And until the foundational truths of our faith become bedrock in our lives and usually that happens in the wilderness seasons of life, until that happens, neither will we.

Prayer:

Father we invite You into this. We do not like the wilderness, we do not like endurance, we do not like hardship, we do not like challenge. We do acknowledge that those things make us strong and we can look back upon them and see that they were good for us. But in the midst of it, we can't see anything else, but the pain. And sometimes it feels like we’ve just been wondering for so long. But maybe we’ve been wandering a lot longer than we need to or needed to. So, Holy Spirit come. Help us to learn, truly as bedrock our utter dependence upon You, so that when You determine that it is time to move out, we are ready and not questioning You. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, home of the Global Campfire. In a virtual world like ours, this is…yeah…this is where the Global Campfire is. And, so, be aware of that and be aware of what's going on. Check it out. Stay connected.

Check out the Community Section. This is where to get connected.

Check out the resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. They have been created for this journey, whether that be the Daily Audio Bible Journal. We, of course, encourage journaling our way through the Scriptures because this…this sentiment is in the Bible, this sentiment of remembering what God did at certain times and in certain places so that future generations, when they ask what…what happened here, what does this is all mean, the story can be told. And, so, journaling is telling the story in your own hand in your own words. And, so, we've developed the Daily Audio Bible Journal over the years for that purpose as well as things to use to write with. I use the Black Wing pencils. I have for several years now. And, so, we stock those and those are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. I just…for a while there was kind of writing notes down in a digital kind of journal, juts trying to keep up with little moments and stuff but I found like this is…I’m not really doing this and I’m not really taking the time to journal and then finding these pencils and finding the art of sharpening a pencil again, like something I hadn’t done since school, just sharpening that pencil and writing in my own handwriting as bad as it might be, it’s still mine and it's…these are my words and I'm pouring them out…I’m writing them down and makes it just stick a little more than typing with my thumbs on a phone. And, so, yeah, all these things over the years have just kind of laid out for us to take this journey through a year. And, so, check out the resources in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There’s a link on the homepage, and I can't thank you enough. This has always been a community and a community endeavor. And, so, if we’re not in this together we’re not in this at all, and I'm deeply grateful that we are in this together. So, there’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is the little red button at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi this is Frances from Colorado. Hey, my sister from Nigeria what a simple but profound way of talking about God's power. Thank you for sharing that. We all need to hear that. What God cannot do doesn't exist. I needed to hear that, and I bet you many people on this platform needed to hear that as well today. So, thank you and welcome my sister from Nigeria. Bye.

Father God thank You for this new day. Thank You, Lord for all of the opportunities that are before us. And I pray Lord that You would give us what we need to face this day and that You would open our eyes to see those opportunities and that You'd be equipping us the best of You this day. Lord thank You for the week that has just gone. Thank You that You brought us through it. And I pray that we can find some rest on our days off, that we might be restored. And I pray that we would learn to better rest in You and to fix our eyes on You. Lord looking ahead to the summer, we lift up those outreach events that in a non covid world people would normally be planning and planning for. And I pray Lord that You would be inspiring teams and inspiring leaders and helping them think through the logistics and helping them to plan their summer outreach events or their holiday outreach events. Lord we don't know what the summer is going to look like, whether these events can go forward as normal or whether they need to be adapted in some way or whether they're all going to be virtual again. Whatever it looks like Lord we trust You to be at work and we trust You to be to just…just to be as You always are. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hey Daily Audio Bible family this is Renzo from Maryland. I'm just hearing some of these prayer requests and I just really want to get down and pray for these people. Father God I just pray for Julie from southern Illinois for her and a husband's relationship to be restored God. Whatever is going on just please just help the relationship to be restored and just please just help them to get closer and closer to you Lord in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. And I just pray for Maria’s daughter Taylor to leave this abusive relationship with her boyfriend and for her mom to keep praying for her and for the people that are coming in that are trying to get out of there. Just please just help them to be led by God and just please for help Taylor's mind to be open to see why…why she needs to leave this. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. And I just pray for Ian and her daughter's relationship with her husband to be restored and for her son in law salvation God. And I just please just pray for them just to get closer to you Lord. And I just please pray for T from New York. Prayers for her and her son to be free for Covid and prayers for her husband and severe symptoms Lord just please just completely heal him from that Lord. Just please completely heal him from that Lord. You’re a way maker and a miracle worker and you will heal him from this. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. I’m praying for all of you guys. Love you guys. Jesus loves you too. God bless.

Hi DAB family my name is Leah and I'm calling outside of Detroit Michigan. Today is March 6th and I am actually calling in response to what Brian talked about yesterday on March 5th regarding workplaces and what type of person we are in in workplaces. Brian, I have to tell you that you are message was very spot on I guess with timing for me. I have been praying diligently that I can be changed in my work situation and that I can be utilized as a positive force for my work. Long story short I work in a government office and it is a very negative and downtrodden type of environment. And I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't contributed to that on some level sometimes. But I have chosen through encouragement from my therapist and from DAB that I should try to be a positive person about it. So, I am asking for prayers that I can be used as an agent of change in my workplace and also that my coworkers will start to notice a difference in me and ask me about it. I love you all and I thank you for your prayers in advance. God bless.

You are everything that's anything and everything that's anything is nothing without you giving tender mercies every day made new mold and shape this broken vessel according to your will speak to my inner restlessness and tell it peace be still hide me under the shadow of your wings while you mend my broken heart fill me with your word and son while your spirit leads me to a brand new start thank you father for not throwing me away for that's truly what I deserve but I'm fully committed now 100% and it's only you that I will serve I will lift my little light way up high and I let the whole world know that for me there is no other way and I’m glad that it is so for you or everything that's anything and everything that's anything is nothing without you full of tender mercies every day made new mold and shape this broken vessel according to your will speak to my inner restlessness and tell it peace be still praises glory and honor forever to you are due for giving us tender mercies for every day and made new

blindtony1016@gmail.com. I’d like to give a shout out to Michelle from LA and also to Sherlock and Kim Washington. Know you are both thought of often and prayed for daily and very much loved. And once again Brian and the Hardin family thank you for this wonderful podcast for God's Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y'all. Alright. Bye-bye.

Lord thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. Thank You for Your forgiveness and Your love that You so freely lavished on us. Heavenly Father, God, You heard the cry of Your children. You know them by name Lord. You know the pain and You see each tear. Father, I pray and ask that You would put Your arms around them and comfort them O God. Remind them Lord that they are not alone, that You will never leave nor forsake them. Father God I pray that each person that is hurting Lord, thank You would just give them the strength that they need one day at a time. Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Thank You for these promises Lord. And we can…we know that God His promises are true and that we can come boldly before the throne of God and cast our burdens upon You because we know You care. Thank You for loving us. Love You Father. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

[radiopastor]

How Does God Us to Live?

Spiritually speaking, God wants us to live forever because He created us as a Spirit (in the image of God) that will live on earth now and later in heaven for eternity.

Physiologically speaking, God wants us to live on earth in our human body for 120 years.  Does that surprise you?  Are you among the people who believe that most people are supposed to die at 70 or 80 years old?  The fact is that most humans, in today’s world, think that they’re supposed to die at age 70.  Since that idea has been implanted in their brain, and their brain tells their body to die at that age!  What humans think programs their brains.  What humans say programs their life, for better or worse.  Please, be careful what you think, and more importantly, be careful what you say.  God created the whole world, the stars, and the entire universe with words.  You can create your whole world, failures, and successes, by what you say.  Our words have power.  God’s words have divine power and must be followed exactly, if you want to live up to the potential that God created you to aspire to in this life.

Here comes the truth, and the proof, that we are created to live 120 years on earth.  If you don’t want to live to 120, that is in God’s permissive will.  If you choose to live to 120, just imagine all that you could do for God, for your family and you, too.

Genesis 6:3 – Amplified Bible – 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be [a] a hundred and twenty years.”

Footnotes – a. Genesis 6:3 This may refer to the time given man to repent before the flood, or to the normative human life span after the flood.

There it is! – God said in sacred scriptures in Genesis 6:3 that we are to live 120 years here on this earth.  The footnotes give us cause to wonder if the directive to live 120 may have been for humans to repent before the flood.  This writer (Ed Brady) believes the second half of the footnote. It suggests that that 120 years is how long you and I are to live.  How about you?  Do you want to live according to God’s word in Genesis?  It could give you so much time to succeed in the desires and passions that God has placed in your heart.

120 years, you ask?

–

You may feel that 120 years is too long to live, but perhaps you need to re-think your paradigm and learn to understand that we are a spirit, with a soul (mind, will, emotions) living in a body for 70 or 120 (depending upon which we choose).  And yes, we choose the age and time we die, not God.  When you are ready, you can release your spirit.  Or, when you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you can choose to live.  

Acts 7:59-60

– Amplified Bible – 59 They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive, accept, and welcome my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].

God does not need another angel.

–

Scripture teaches us that when we are ready to die, we can ‘release’ our spirit and it goes to heaven or hell.  It bothers me when people think that God killed (or took) their loved one.  It bothers me when people say things like, “God must have needed another angel.”  The statement itself is wrong, and it is wrong to believe that humans become angels.  God created humans and God created angels to honor God, help humans, and deliver messages to humans.  Nope, you won’t ‘get your wings’ because you will not become an angel.  Up in heaven you will be you, in spirit form, in a new resurrection body that looks like you, but better!  Remember when Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and came out of the tomb He had a body that looked like Him, but better!

What about the 70 years verse? – It is not a blessing, but a curse.  The anger of God is expressed in this biblical verse against the people of Israel who chose, on their way to the Promised Land, go a different way than God had told them.  

Psalm 90:10

– Amplified Bible – The days of our life are [a]seventy years—Or even, if because of strength, eighty years; Ye their pride [in additional years] is only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone and we fly away.

Footnotes –

Psalm 90:10 This psalm is credited to Moses, who is interceding with God to remove the curse which made it necessary for every Israelite over twenty years of age (when they rebelled against God at Kadesh-barnea) to die before reaching the promised land of Canaan (Numbers 14:26-35). Moses himself lived to be 120 years old, Aaron 123, Miriam several years older than Aaron, and Joshua 110 years of age; but it is conceivable that Moses considered such longevity the exception. The ancient Israelite Rabbis taught that by the time of David, 70 was the age of death for an old man and 80 for a vigorous old man.

Go the way that God tells you. – God had told the Israelites to take a route that would have gotten them there in about a dozen days.  However, the Nephilim tribe who were directly in front of the Israelites.  They were large men whom the Israelites would have to fight and defeat, if they took God’s planned route.  The key here is to do what God says, even if you don’t feel like it.  Please, do what God says (and live as Jesus lived) even if you’re afraid, do it afraid, but do it, okay?

Numbers 13:33 – Amplified Bible – 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Unfortunately, the Israelites judged the problem by the size of the other tribe, but they should have judged the problem by the size of their God.  God could have helped them defeat the large Nephilim warriors, but they mistakenly thought that they had to fight their enemies by their own power.  Of the 12 spies that the Israelites sent to observe and evaluate their chances of winning in battle, only 2 men, Joshua and Caleb, had strong faith and belief in God and (based on that faith) told the Israelites that they could defeat the Nephilim in battle.  The other 10 spies said that they could not win and advised the tribe of Israel to go a different way, because of that, the House of Israel wandered in the desert for 40-years and none of the Israelites lived to enter the Promised Land.  Only the two men that showed their faith, Joshua, and Caleb, entered the Promised Land with the sons and daughters of the people who died before they entered.  Everybody who was over 20 years of age died in the desert before they got to go into the Promised Land.  During the 40 years in the desert they all died.

Old Versus New Testament – That’s an example of the Old Testament Wrath of God.  We’ll discuss the different manner that God views us in the New Testament (because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross) at another time.  For now, let’s wrap up this section of “How does God want us to live?”

This note is for YOU. – If the Israelites would have done what God told them to do, it is estimated that they would have entered the Promised Land in a dozen days instead of wandering for 40-years and never entering the Promised Land.  When God tells YOU to do something, by faith just do it because God will help you conquer any giants in front of you, okay?  The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons because He shows no partiality (Read Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11).  That could be interpreted in a negative manner, but by faith we can believe that what God does for other believers who have faith in Him, He will do for YOU.  Please, read the Bible daily, study it, and apply it to your life to have a wonderful 120 years on this earth.  Enjoy!  However, if you do not follow God’s directives/commands in the Bible, try enjoying your wandering in the desert for 40 years.  Ouch!

We must live by faith, not sight.  To get better at living by faith, spend more time reading and studying the Bible daily.  The main reason that most Christians believe wrong information about God, and life, is that they have no knowledge of scripture.  In closing, “How Does God Want Us To Live?”  He wants us to live our life the way He told us in the Bible.  Read it daily and apply it to your life, okay?  To make it easier for us live the way God wants us to live, He sent His son, Jesus, to make it very, very clear how God wants us to live.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – Amplified Bible – 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].

Thanks, and God bless you, Pastor Ed Brady

Questions?  You can reach me at: ed@edbradyradio.com

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[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

16th January >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time    or 

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary    or

Saint Fursa, Abbot and Missionary.

Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Hebrews 4:12-16

Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.    Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):8-10,15

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,    it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,    it gives wisdom to the simple.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The precepts of the Lord are right,    they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear,    it gives light to the eyes.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The fear of the Lord is holy,    abiding for ever. The decrees of the Lord are truth    and all of them just.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

May the spoken words of my mouth,    the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord,    my rescuer, my rock!

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

Gospel Acclamation

Psalm 118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia! Bend my heart to your will, O Lord, and teach me your law. Alleluia!

Or:

Luke 4:17

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives. Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17

Your light must shine in the sight of men

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.    When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

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)

Either:

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15,20

The mother of all those who live

After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’    Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel.’

The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

OR: --------

First reading Genesis 12:1-7 All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.    Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.

OR: --------

First reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16 The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House

Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’    But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:    ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

OR: --------

First reading 1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2 They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it

David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord.    David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes.    They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

OR: --------

First reading Proverbs 8:22-31 Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born

The Wisdom of God cries aloud:

The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,    before the oldest of his works. From everlasting I was firmly set,    from the beginning, before earth came into being. The deep was not, when I was born,    there were no springs to gush with water. Before the mountains were settled,    before the hills, I came to birth; before he made the earth, the countryside,    or the first grains of the world’s dust. When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,    when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep, when he thickened the clouds above,    when he fixed fast the springs of the deep, when he assigned the sea its boundaries – and the waters will not invade the shore –    when he laid down the foundations of the earth, I was by his side, a master craftsman,    delighting him day after day,    ever at play in his presence, at play everywhere in his world,    delighting to be with the sons of men.

OR: --------

First reading Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21 From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom

Wisdom speaks her own praises,    in the midst of her people she glories in herself. She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,    she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One: ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,    and I covered the earth like a mist. I had my tent in the heights,    and my throne in a pillar of cloud. Then the creator of all things instructed me,    and he who created me fixed a place for my tent. He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,    make Israel your inheritance.” From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,    and for eternity I shall remain. I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,    and thus was I established on Zion. In the beloved city he has given me rest,    and in Jerusalem I wield my authority. I have taken root in a privileged people,    in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance. Approach me, you who desire me,    and take your fill of my fruits, for memories of me are sweeter than honey,    inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb. They who eat me will hunger for more,    they who drink me will thirst for more. Whoever listens to me will never have to blush,    whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10 The maiden is with child

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’    Then Isaiah said:

‘Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 9:1-6 A Son is given to us

The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their gladness greater, you have made their joy increase; they rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.

For the yoke that was weighing on him, the bar across his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor, these you break as on the day of Midian.

For all the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood, is burnt, and consumed by fire.

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 61:9-11 I exult for joy in the Lord

Their race will be famous throughout the nations, their descendants throughout the peoples. All who see them will admit that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.

‘I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.

‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.’

OR: --------

First reading Micah 5:1-4 He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.

OR: --------

First reading Zechariah 2:14-17 'I am coming', says the Lord

Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you – it is the Lord who speaks. Many nations will join the Lord, on that day; they will become his people. But he will remain among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. But the Lord will hold Judah as his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his very own. Let all mankind be silent before the Lord! For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.

-------- ________

EITHER: --------

Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

My heart exults in the Lord.    I find my strength in my God; my mouth laughs at my enemies    as I rejoice in your saving help.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

The bows of the mighty are broken,    but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with plenty must labour for bread,    but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has children now    but the fruitful wife bears no more.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

It is the Lord who gives life and death,    he brings men to the grave and back; it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.    He brings men low and raises them on high.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

He lifts up the lowly from the dust,    from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes    to give him a glorious throne. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,    on them he has set the world.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Judith 13:18a-19

You are the highest honour of our race!

May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond all women on earth; and may the Lord God be blessed, the Creator of heaven and earth.

You are the highest honour of our race!

The trust you have shown shall not pass from the memories of men, but shall ever remind them of the power of God.

You are the highest honour of our race!

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:    forget your own people and your father’s house. So will the king desire your beauty:    He is your lord, pay homage to him.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,    her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold. She is led to the king with her maiden companions.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

They are escorted amid gladness and joy;    they pass within the palace of the king. Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:    you will make them princes over all the earth.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 112(113):1-7

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,    praise the name of the Lord! May the name of the Lord be blessed    both now and for evermore!

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

From the rising of the sun to its setting    praised be the name of the Lord! High above all nations is the Lord,    above the heavens his glory.

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

Who is like the Lord, our God,    who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down,    to look down upon heaven and earth? From the dust he lifts up the lowly,    from the dungheap he raises the poor

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-55

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

My soul glorifies the Lord,    my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

He looks on his servant in her nothingness;    henceforth all ages will call me blessed. The Almighty works marvels for me.    Holy his name!

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

His mercy is from age to age,    on those who fear him. He puts forth his arm in strength    and scatters the proud-hearted.

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

He casts the mighty from their thrones    and raises the lowly. He fills the starving with good things,    sends the rich away empty.

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

He protects Israel, his servant,    remembering his mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers,    to Abraham and his sons for ever.

The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is his name! or Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who bore the Son of the eternal Father.

-------- ________

Gospel Acclamation cf.Lk1:28

Alleluia, alleluia! Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women. Alleluia!

Or: cf.Lk1:45

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Alleluia!

Or: cf.Lk2:19

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who treasured the word of God and pondered it in her heart. Alleluia!

Or: Lk11:28

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it. Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for the sun of justice, Christ our God, was born of you. Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy is the Virgin Mary, who, without dying, won the palm of martyrdom beneath the cross of the Lord. Alleluia!

________

EITHER: --------

Gospel Matthew 1:1-16,18-23 The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

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

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah; and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 1:18-23 How Jesus Christ came to be born

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

I called my son out of Egypt.

After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:

‘He will be called a Nazarene.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 12:46-50 My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 1:26-38 'I am the handmaid of the Lord'

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 1:39-47 Blessed is she who believed the promise

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’    And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:1-14 'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'

Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together 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 a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.    In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:15-19 The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger

Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:27-35 'A sword will pierce your soul too'

Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.’

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 2:41-52 Mary stored up all these things in her heart

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.    Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’    ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.    He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.    His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 11:27-28 'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'

As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’

OR: --------

Gospel John 2:1-11 'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’    This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.

OR: --------

Gospel John 19:25-27 'Woman, this is your son'

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Saint Fursa, Abbot and Missionary

(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)

Either:

First Reading

Genesis 12:1-4

All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

OR: --------

First reading Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18 You must love your neighbour as yourself

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:    ‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.    ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

OR: --------

First reading Deuteronomy 6:3-9 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

Moses said to the people:    ‘Listen, Israel, keep and observe these commandments, which will make you prosper and give you great increase, as the Lord the God of your fathers has promised you, giving you a land where milk and honey flow.    ‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising; you shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet; you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’

OR: --------

First reading Deuteronomy 10:8-9 The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to do him service

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand in the presence of the Lord, to do him service and in his name to pronounce blessing as they still do today. Levi therefore has no share or inheritance with his brothers: the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God told him.’

OR: --------

First reading 1 Kings 19:4-9,11-15 The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire

Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.    There he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have deserted you, broken down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I am the only one left and they want to kill me.’    ‘Go,’ the Lord said, ‘go back by the same way to the wilderness of Damascus.’

OR: --------

First reading 1 Kings 19:16,19-21 Elisha leaves the plough to follow Elijah

The Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go, you are to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.’    Leaving there, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?’ Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.

OR: --------

First reading Tobit 8:4-8 A prayer on the wedding night

On their wedding night Tobias rose from the bed, and said to his wife Sarah, ‘Get up, my sister! You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.’ She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how he began:

‘You are blessed, O God of our fathers; blessed, too, is your name for ever and ever. Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore. It was you who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support; and from these two the human race was born. It was you who said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a helpmate like himself.” And so I do not take my sister for any lustful motive; I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.’

OR: --------

First reading Tobit 12:6-13 Bless God and utter his praise before all the living

Raphael took Tobit and his son Tobias aside and said, ‘Bless God, utter his praise before all the living for all the favours he has given you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks. It is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right to reveal and publish the works of God. Thank him worthily. Do what is good, and no evil can befall you.    ‘Prayer with fasting and alms with right conduct are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days; those who commit sin and do evil, bring harm on themselves.    ‘I am going to tell you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already told you that it is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right too to reveal in worthy fashion the works of God. So you must know that when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered your supplications before the glory of the Lord and who read them; so too when you were burying the dead. When you did not hesitate to get up and leave the table to go and bury a dead man, I was sent to test your faith, and at the same time God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.’

OR: --------

First reading Judith 8:2-8 The widow Judith was devout and feared God

Judith’s husband Manasseh, of her own tribe and family, had died at the time of barley harvest. He was supervising the men as they bound up the sheaves in the field, when he caught sunstroke and had to take to his bed. He died in Bethulia, his home town, and was buried with his ancestors in the field that lies between Dothan and Balamon. As a widow, Judith stayed inside her home for three years and four months. She had had an upper room built for herself on the roof. She wore sackcloth round her waist and dressed in widow’s weeds. She fasted every day of her widowhood except for the sabbath eve, the sabbath itself, the eve of New Moon, the feast of New Moon and the festival days of the House of Israel. Now, she was very beautiful, charming to see. Her husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver, menservants and maidservants, cattle and lands; and she lived among all her possessions without anyone finding a word to say against her, so devoutly did she fear God.

OR: --------

First reading Esther 4:17 'I will not bow down to any but you, Lord'

Calling to mind all the wonderful works of the Lord, Mordecai offered this prayer:

‘Lord, Lord, King and Master of all things, everything is subject to your power, and there is no-one who can withstand you in your will to save Israel.

‘Yes, you have made heaven and earth, and all the marvels that are under heaven. You are the Lord of all, and there is none who can resist you, Lord.

‘You know all things: you know, Lord, you know, that no insolence, arrogance, vainglory prompted me to this, to this refusal to bow down before proud Haman. I would readily have kissed his feet for the safety of Israel.

‘But what I did, I did rather than place the glory of a man above the glory of God; and I will not bow down to any but to you, Lord: in so refusing I will not act in pride.

‘Hear my supplication, have mercy on your heritage, and turn our grief into rejoicing, that we may live to hymn your name, Lord. Do not suffer the mouths of those who praise you to perish.’

OR: --------

First reading Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31 A perfect wife - who can find her?

A perfect wife – who can find her?    She is far beyond the price of pearls. Her husband’s heart has confidence in her,    from her he will derive no little profit. Advantage and not hurt she brings him    all the days of her life. She is always busy with wool and with flax,    she does her work with eager hands. She sets her hands to the distaff,    her fingers grasp the spindle. She holds out her hand to the poor,    she opens her arms to the needy. Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty;    the woman who is wise is the one to praise. Give her a share in what her hands have worked for,    and let her works tell her praises at the city gates.

OR: --------

First reading Ecclesiasticus 2:7-13 You who fear the Lord, trust the Lord

You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;    do not turn aside in case you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him,    and you will not be baulked of your reward. You who fear the Lord hope for good things,    for everlasting happiness and mercy. Look at the generations of old and see:    who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken?    Or who ever called out to him, and was ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful,    he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress.

OR: --------

First reading Ecclesiasticus 3:19-25 Behave humbly, and you will find favour with the Lord

My son, be gentle in carrying out your business,    and you will be better loved than a lavish giver. The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly,    and then you will find favour with the Lord; for great though the power of the Lord is,    he accepts the homage of the humble. Do not try to understand things that are too difficult for you,    or try to discover what is beyond your powers. Concentrate on what has been assigned you:    you have no need to worry over mysteries. Do not meddle with matters that are beyond you:    what you have been taught already exceeds the scope of the human mind. For many have been misled by their own presumption,    and wrong-headed opinions have warped their ideas. For lack of eyes you want for light;    if you are without knowledge, do not attempt to convince.

OR: --------

First reading Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4,13-16 A perfect wife is the joy of her husband

Happy the husband of a really good wife;    the number of her days will be doubled. A perfect wife is the joy of her husband,    he will live out his years in peace. A good wife is the best of portions,    reserved for those who fear the Lord: rich or poor, they will be glad of heart,    cheerful of face, whatever the season. The grace of a wife will charm her husband,    her accomplishments will make him the stronger. A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,    no price can be put on a well-trained character. A modest wife is a boon twice over,    a chaste character cannot be weighed on scales. Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord    is the beauty of a good wife in a well-kept house.

OR: --------

First reading Isaiah 58:6-11 Then will your light shine like the dawn

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks – to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor,

to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over.

Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’

If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word, if you give your bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed,

your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon. The Lord will always guide you, giving you relief in desert places.

He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry.

OR: --------

First reading Jeremiah 20:7-9 The word of the Lord has meant insult for me

You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger. I am a daily laughing-stock, everybody’s butt. Each time I speak the word, I have to howl and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’ The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long. I used to say, ‘I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name any more.’ Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones. The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not bear it.

OR: --------

First reading Micah 6:6-8 The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly

‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence    and bow down before God on high? Shall I come with holocausts,    with calves one year old? Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,    with libations of oil in torrents? Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,    the fruit of my body for my own sin?’

– What is good has been explained to you, man;    this is what the Lord asks of you: only this, to act justly,    to love tenderly    and to walk humbly with your God.

OR: --------

First reading Zephaniah 2:3,3:12-13 In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people

Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord.

In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.

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EITHER: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 1:1-4,6

His delight is the law of the Lord. or Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

Happy indeed is the man    who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners    nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord    and who ponders his law day and night.

His delight is the law of the Lord. or Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

He is like a tree that is planted    beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season    and whose leaves shall never fade;    and all that he does shall prosper.

His delight is the law of the Lord. or Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff    shall be driven away by the wind: for the Lord guards the way of the just    but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

His delight is the law of the Lord. or Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 14(15):2-5

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart; he who does not slander with his tongue.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his neighbour, who holds the godless in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who keeps his pledge, come what may; who takes no interest on a loan and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm for ever.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.    I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’ O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;    it is you yourself who are my prize.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,    who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight:    since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path of life,    the fullness of joy in your presence,    at your right hand happiness for ever.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;    there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures    where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me,    to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;    he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness    no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff;    with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me    in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil;    my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me    all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell    for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 33(34):2-11

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

I will bless the Lord at all times,    his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.    The humble shall hear and be glad.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Glorify the Lord with me.    Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me;    from all my terrors he set me free.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Look towards him and be radiant;    let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him    and rescued him from all his distress.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

The angel of the Lord is encamped    around those who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good.    He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.    They lack nothing, those who revere him. Strong lions suffer want and go hungry    but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see that the Lord is good.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 102(103):1-4,8-9,13-14,17-18

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord    all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord    and never forget all his blessings.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,    who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave,    who crowns you with love and compassion.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

The Lord is compassion and love,    slow to anger and rich in mercy. His wrath will come to an end;    he will not be angry for ever.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

As a father has compassion on his sons,    the Lord has pity on those who fear him; for he knows of what we are made,    he remembers that we are dust.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting    upon those who hold him in fear; his justice reaches out to children’s children    when they keep his covenant in truth,    when they keep his will in their mind.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 111(112):1-9

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

Happy the man who fears the Lord,    who takes delight in all his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth;    the children of the upright are blessed.

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

Riches and wealth are in his house;    his justice stands firm for ever. He is a light in the darkness for the upright:    he is generous, merciful and just.

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

The good man takes pity and lends,    he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver:    he will be remembered for ever.

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

He has no fear of evil news;    with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord. With a steadfast heart he will not fear;    he will see the downfall of his foes.

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;    his justice stands firm for ever.    His head will be raised in glory.

Happy the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia!

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 127(128):1-5

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord    and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat.    You will be happy and prosper.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine    in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive,    around your table.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Indeed thus shall be blessed    the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion    all the days of your life!

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 130(131)

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Lord, my heart is not proud    nor haughty my eyes. I have not gone after things too great    nor marvels beyond me.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

Truly I have set my soul    in silence and peace. A weaned child on its mother’s breast,    even so is my soul.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Israel, hope in the Lord    both now and forever.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

-------- ________

Gospel Acclamation Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia! How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!

Or: Mt5:6

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied. Alleluia!

Or: Mt5:8

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God. Alleluia!

Or: Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!

Or: Mt23:11,12

Alleluia, alleluia! The greatest among you must be your servant, says the Lord: the man who humbles himself will be exalted. Alleluia!

Or: Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia! Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Alleluia!

Or: Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia! Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man. Alleluia!

Or: Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!

Or: Jn8:31-32

Alleluia, alleluia! If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, and you will learn the truth, says the Lord. Alleluia!

Or: Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia! I give you a new commandment: love one another just as I have loved you, says the Lord. Alleluia!

Or: Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!

Or: Jn15:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia! Make your home in me, as I make mine in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty. Alleluia!

Or: Jn15:9,5

Alleluia, alleluia! Remain in my love, says the Lord; whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty. Alleluia!

________

EITHER: --------

Gospel Matthew 5:1-12a How happy are the poor in spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;    theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy the gentle:    they shall have the earth for their heritage. Happy those who mourn:    they shall be comforted. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:    they shall be satisfied. Happy the merciful:    they shall have mercy shown them. Happy the pure in heart:    they shall see God. Happy the peacemakers:    they shall be called sons of God. Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

OR: --------

Gospel 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.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 7:21-27 The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!    ‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 11:25-30 You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.    ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 13:44-46 He sells everything he owns and buys the field

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.    ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 16:24-27 Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?    ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 18:1-5 Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.    ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 19:3-12 Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’    They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’    The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 19:27-29 They will be repaid a hundred times over and inherit eternal life

Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 22:34-40 The commandments of love

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 25:1-13 The wise and foolish virgins

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 25:14-30 You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.    ‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.    ‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”    ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”    ‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”    ‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 25:14-23 You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.    ‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master���s money.    ‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”    ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”    ‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.    ‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”    ‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”    ‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

OR: --------

Gospel Matthew 25:31-40 I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.    ‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”’

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 3:31-35 Who are my mother and my brothers? Those that do the will of God

The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 9:34-37 Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

The disciples had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So Jesus sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 10:13-16 It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs

People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 10:17-30 Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.    Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’    Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 10:17-27 Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.    Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 6:27-38 Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.    ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 9:57-62 'I will follow you wherever you go'

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’    Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’    Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 10:38-42 Martha works; Mary listens

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 12:32-34 It has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.    ‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 12:35-40 You too must stand ready

Jesus said to his disciples:    ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 14:25-33 Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.    ‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

OR: --------

Gospel John 15:1-8 I am the vine, you are the branches

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more. You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.’

OR: --------

Gospel John 15:9-17 You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. You did not choose me: no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. What I command you is to love one another.’

OR: --------

Gospel John 17:20-26 Father, may they be completely one

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realise that it was you who sent me and that I have loved them as much as you loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[couldnt-think-of-a-better-name]

Moses and Pentecost motifs in TPN Chapter 134

I wanted to do a proper post on chapter 134 and explain some of the imagery that may at first have looked confusing or shocking. This post took forever to make just because of IRL commitments coming up! I will also get back to answering asks asap, sorry, I feel bad for taking so long on them!

I have posted previously about a long list of Bible references in TPN, from Genesis, to Exodus and the New Testament. If you haven’t checked those yet, you can look in my "Neverland Mythology” page for a list of posts (if you can’t find it on the phone, try it on a desktop browser). So as soon as I saw the spoilers of Ray wandering a desert for a long time, I instantly picked up on the imagery resembling the aimless wandering in Exodus. I also noticed that Ray’s hand looked wrinkled, and his hair looked like it could be streaked with grey.

So while others expected to see a young adult Ray, I wasn’t surprised when we got this instead:

After all in Exodus we did have someone wandering the desert aimlessly for decades in search of the PROMISEd land...

In fact I did joke that Ray may look like a 53-year-old (13+40 years in the desert like Moses) before I saw his face, and indeed he does appear like he could be in his 50s...

Here is a little more on Moses from wikipedia:

I find it interesting that God’s name is also unreadable, just like squiggly named demon!God... We haven’t seen a burning bush yet, I wonder if we will though in the future.

Another point about Moses’ story in Exodus is how he parted the Red Sea.

Since I have my theory that the demon world is located deep under the sea, a Red Sea reference would fit very well with that. So perhaps we will see either Ray or Emma part the ocean to get to the squiggly named demon!God? Recently we did see some Emma art with a staff. Also, notice that her robe has a lining with David’s stars? That’s a jewish symbol, and Moses' story is about the jews. There are other stars as well on the outfit, as well as astrology symbols and constellations, but those perhaps could be related to reaching the heaven and the sphere of stars in Dante’s Divine Comedy, if my theory on that is right.

Something else to consider for the place of day and night is the beginning of Genesis, where God created the world in 7 days... Some of these illustrations of the separations of day and night, air and ocean remind me of images of where the demon!God is. Perhaps this could be related to the Seven Walls if the Seven Seas is not what they are?

Okay, but what about Pentecost? Why did I say there were references to it this chapter? For those of you, who are not aware, Pentecost is a Christian holiday 40 days after Easter, it is a moving holiday just like Easter. The earliest possible date for it is May 10th (when the early release of chapter 134 happened), and the latest date for it is June 13th.

One of the main symbols of Pentecost is the dove, we saw two tiny doves hidden this chapter:

But you know what is significant about the pinwheels? They are another commonly used icon of Pentecost, specifically for children, to teach them about the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the descent of the holy spirit was associated with strong winds, and it is advised that by observing how the pinwheels whirl, the children can be taught how just like the wind (and the holy spirit) there are things that are there even when you can’t see them.

There is another traditional symbol of Pentecost:

This chapter we actually see a flower on the table, and unlike the vida flower which is made of many small flowerheads, it has one big flower, just like a rose.

Pentecost actually ties to both Genesis and Moses as well:

I have said this before, but I believe that the original Promise is an analogy of the Old Testament, or the old promise between God and people (jews at the time), which was established by the 10 commandments being received by Moses. Why is this significant? Well Pentecost celebrates the establishment of the christian church, built on the New Testament, or the new promise between God  and people... read this analysis also from wikipedia.

So if my analogy is right, it would make sense that as Emma is trying to set up a Second Promise, or a new covenant, Shirai-san would reference the celebration associated with it.

Finally, the part about the maze reminds me of Alice in Wonderland...

When searching to leave Wonderland, Alice is guided by the Cheshire Cat to meet the Queen of Hearts, and comes into her strange garden, which is a labyrinth.

Lewis Carroll (famous for writing Alice in Wonderland) was a mathematician. When he was in his twenties he drew a very tricky maze with paths that crossed under and over each other. 

Interestingly, Robert Abbott, a game designer has also created a set of logic mazes he called the Alice Mazes, and it is based on following arrows, just like what Emma and Ray sees.

You start at the red square, and follow the arrows to reach the goal. These start out deceptively simple, but can get incredibly complex. Some have 60 or more moves, any one of which can send you down the wrong path. You can search for these online and play them.

He says on his website: “ these are called “Alice” mazes because they recall the scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats a piece of cake with the sign “Eat Me” and grows larger, then she drinks from a bottle marked “Drink Me” and becomes smaller. These mazes won’t make you larger or smaller, but the distance you travel in a move will get larger or smaller.” The Seven Walls’ cryptic message is all about travelling distances as well.

There is a popular puzzle game that could have some significance, since we have seen Posuka-sensei highlight a related animal in important art pieces:

Snakes and ladder is actually a very ancient game, that has been popular for a long time. If you have played it, you will know that it deals heavily with the frustration of ending back where you started. Could Emma and Ray be playing a giant game of Snakes and Ladders? Well, hopefully the new chapter will be out soon and we will know more!

[curateddevotional-blog]

How Can I Be Made Whole Again After Having Sex?

The Question – How can I be made whole again after having sex? How do I tell my future partner?

Morning Pages – Take 3 to 10 minutes to free write or type whatever’s on your mind, just to clear some space or to ponder the question

Silence – Take two minutes to sit in silence, create a timer on your phone if you find it challenging to be still at first. Let yourself open up to God and remember he is already with you.

Scripture – Very early in the morning Jesus went into the temple courts where all the people gathered around him. He sat down among them to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before everyone watching and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.) But Jesus bent down and started to write in the dust with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote in the dust. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus said. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:1-11

Reflection – In sinful sexual acts or in lust (cultivated sexual thoughts), when you’ve been “caught” by a roommate, a friend, or most often, your own conscious… Let me ask you, what do you expect from Jesus? If you were this woman, dragged out in the middle of the street for all to see, do you expect a harsh word & the back of his hand? 

We anticipate the punishment, the shame, the humiliation of who we are. Something about our sexuality, especially our need for it, seems like the quickest thing to plummet the way we see ourselves. Counselor Chip Dodd speaks to this saying that, “the need of sexuality is our need to feel and experience comfort and confidence in our own skin, not the need of sexual acts. Sexuality fulfillment is the feeling of being glad to be in our skin” 

The feeling of being glad to be me. Are you happy to be you? Even though you’re broken and messy and so tired? Or do you feel ashamed for being you? Of not being good enough, pure enough, whole enough? It makes sense. We’re broken. We were broken from the start. None of us have ever been pure. But the good news is that we’re all moving from sexual brokenness to sexual wholeness. All of us are being made whole by our intimacy with Jesus, the one who loves you for being you. 

Caught in the middle of the messiest moment of her life, Jesus shocked everyone and offered the adulterous woman a loving reach and a tender response. Each of us need what this woman got: an honest encounter with the real Jesus. We need the Jesus who offers His hand, a gentle response, and his grace that always offers us a new way. A new way to be, and a new way of seeing ourselves: whole because he is Whole. 

Question – Where do you most need to experience Jesus’ gentle reach and tender response? Where do you most need to be reminded that it is good to be you?

Prayer – Jesus, we thank you so much. Our hearts are glad that you make us whole. Where we expect to be teased, mocked, judged, or outcasted, Jesus, you take our hand. You say to us, “You’re with me now and there is nothing to be afraid of” Even at our very worst, you call us friend. We ask that you give us the courage to expose the vulnerable and the ashamed parts of us to you. Let us receive your love in the most tender, vulnerable places of our hearts. In Your Name, Amen.

Silence – End your time with two minutes of quiet.

[firstumcschenectady]

“Shiny... or Maybe Just Shimmering” based on Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9:28-26

If I got only one word to summarize today's stories, I'd go with “shiny.”  Moses gets all shiny after connecting with the Divine, and the disciples see Jesus go all shiny on a mountaintop while being blessed by God.

If I got only one word to describe life right now, it would absolutely, positively NOT be shiny.  War is not shiny.  It is camouflage, rubble, blood and tears. Attacking trans kids in Texas isn't shiny.  In some cases, this is an ACTUAL desire to prevent some kids from wearing shiny and glittery things.  Attacking trans kids is a formula that increases suicides, it is a deadly attack with many years of repercussions.  And, just in case you missed this memo, pandemics aren't shiny either.  Used surgical masks on the sides of sidewalks might be a good image of this pandemic, and that's just … shine-less.  Exhaustion and languishing aren't shiny.  

Nope, right now isn't shiny.

And yet, I can remember shiny. Very little in the world shines like a Pride parade, with glitter and sequins in the brightest of colors, and outfits that reflect the sun itself.  I can remember Easter mornings with people dressed up in bright shiny outfits, singing loud with along with shiny a brass quintet and wishing to be able to just extend the moment of wonder as long as possible.  I can remember Sunday morning breakfasts with a full Fellowship hall when someone got triggered and upset, and others had the patience and grace to help the person calm down and even feel safe.  Shiny.

I can remember shiny.

And now isn't shiny.

Except, every once in a while, when something breaks through despite it all.  I'm not sure if anything is shining exactly.  Maybe I could say that some moments shimmer.  When my kid snuggles in close, while my cat purrs, and my partner reads, and the sky lights up with sunrise.  There it is.  A tiny, shimmering moment.  When the banjo is played during the Contemplative Prayer service and people close their eyes to let themselves sway along.  Shimmers.  When, during Family Faith Formation, a kid asks a grown up other than their own to watch them go down a slide, and trusts they'll be affirmed.   Shimmers.  When someone reaches out to the church and asks, “would I, a trans person, REALLY be welcome?” and I can say “Yes, you REALLY are welcome, just as you are,” because I know it is true in this church and that MATTERS.  Shimmers.

I don't want to pretend everything is OK.  It isn't.  Sometimes it feels like NOTHING is OK, but that isn't true either.  Life is a complicated both/and.  Things aren't OK, and yet God shines through in expected moments anyway. Things aren't OK, and love is still here.  Things aren't OK, and most of the time most people are doing their best.  Things aren't OK, and yet some things ARE OK.  Both/and.  

Which is why I'm landing on, “this moment in time isn't shiny, but there are shimmers, and I'm trying to notice them.”  

But, before we talk about that anymore, let's look at our stories again.  They're interesting, and they raise a lot of questions.  The gospel story is clearly forming itself as a new telling of the Exodus story, which suggests we may learn a lot by noticing the differences.  

It has been suggested that the 10 commandments were groundbreaking in that they understood YHWH to be one who cared about how people treated people, and not just about sacrifice or worship directed at a divine being.  Even more so than monotheism, presenting God as one who cares about a just society and moral treatment of others, did NOT reflect the religions of that period of the Ancient Near East.

The story of Moses coming down the mountain with the 10 commandments in hand reflects how central this moment was to the people.  This was a story of WHO they were, why they lived as they did, who they wanted to be, and how they decided to be that people.  

Stories that matter that much are often superimposed with extra meaning, to help people pay attention.  Perhaps, even, they're superimposed with extra light.

The story says that Moses was SHINING when he came down the mountain, and it scared people.  In fact, it seems he stayed shiny for quite a while, and in order to keep the people more comfortable, he wore a veil to cover the shiny. (This is terribly interesting in that veils are much more commonly associated with women in that part of the world.)

The shiny is definitely meant to communicate that some of God's holiness has rubbed off on Moses, which clarifies that he was a sacred messenger, and the 10 commandments were God's own idea.  The shiny imbues the commandments with sacred authority.  The shiny tells the people that their God REALLY cares about their treatment of each other, and creating a society of justice and equity.

This story is then a part of what Luke uses to establish Jesus's authority, his connection with the Divine, to clarify that his message is also blessed with sacred authority.  Jesus, also up on a mountain, also connecting to God, also gets shiny.  Jesus is seen “with” Moses and Elijah, sometimes called “the law and the prophet,” the one who shared God's vision (the law) and the one who called people to account for it (the great prophet).  In the midst of the shiny and the law and the prophet comes an EXPLICIT communication from God "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

OK, so clearly this is also about the authority of God's chosen to communicate God's vision.  It also seems to pass some of the authority onto the disciples who are the ones who have to tell others about this authority Jesus now has, which fits the whole Gospel narrative pretty well.  I mean, the Gospels are presented as being by people who were with Jesus telling others why his life mattered and how it was infused with the presence of God.  So establishing that the disciples were the ones who knew how important Jesus was ends up establishing both his authority and their authority to tell the story.

Sigh.  I know.  You give me beautiful, metaphorical, literally shiny texts and I can take most of the fun out of it in no time flat.  

So, let's see if I can put some of the fun back in!  We could wonder why people found the best way to communicate the presence of God was in shininess.  It is sort of a delightful question.  I think it may happen because there is a little bit of truth in it.  Every once in a while, it seems to me that scales are lifted from my eyes and I can see a glimpse of the world and its people as God sees them, and let me tell you, they really do shine with divine love.  Perhaps the ubiquitous halos in Christian art are actually a reflection of how holy and sacred everyone and everything  is to God.  Perhaps the whole world, the whole universe, are supersaturated with love that pours out of their atoms, but most of the time we don't see it, but in moments of Divine grace, we can?

That may actually bring us full circle, right back to “this moment isn't shiny, but it might still shimmer.”  While I believe that God is with us, love is with us, grace and mercy are with us, compassion is with us ALL THE TIME, I also know from personal experience that we are not always able to feel it.  Stress can make it harder to connect with God.  Constant demands make it harder.  Emotional turmoil makes it harder. Lonesomeness makes it harder (hence the yearning to be able to safely gather together for worship.)  Trauma makes it harder.  Fear makes it harder.  Honestly, sometimes the weather makes it harder.

God is with us all the time, but when things are particularly hard, we aren't necessarily well tuned into God's presence.  I do encourage the practice of intentional silence to make space to notice God's presence – even a minute can help – but that isn't a fix-all either.  

This week my encouragement is to see if you can notice some moments that shimmer.  Maybe only one a day.  Maybe it only shimmers 1% more than the rest of the day.  But, in times that feels so profoundly unshiny, I think it helps to notice whatever we can of God breaking through.  Because, God IS with us, and God is helping, and when we notice, we make it easier to notice the next time.  And, I think the moments that shimmer and shine are ones we're supposed to listen to.  Like Moses, or Jesus, they shine to help us pay attention, to say “God is here,” to remind us of the holiness and sacredness of even the mundane parts of life.  Those moments are part of how we get through these days.  

OR, to say this another way entirely, a poem by Mary Oliver

Don’t Hesitate

BY Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

In the midst of hard things and hard times, counter the hard by paying attention to where God is still shining through, however bright, for however long.  That's how we build the kindom, even now.  We pay attention, and we appreciate, we don't hesitate.  Thanks be to God.  Amen

February 27, 2022

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

[treadmilltreats]

I am Christian...but I am human

I remember a while back when someone said something to me that really got to me, they said,

"That wasn't very Christian of you" about some things I did and said.

Since when did I ever say because I am Christian that I am now perfect?

What because I go to church? Please, If I sit in a garage does that make me a car? Just like sitting in church does not make you a perfect Christian.

No, I am human, and I am so not perfect...Hello, do you read my blog? I get mad, I curse, I break all kinds of commandments, please!!

Don't put me up on a pedestal because I praise God or speak of his greatness in my blogs.

That does not make me more holy than thou, that makes me a believer, that's all.

That is the problem with people today, especially people who go to church. They feel that they are better than others, that they have to be perfect, after all "we" go to church. They suddenly forget that they were once sinners and most still are, yet because they come to church that somehow makes them better than the rest.

No, here's the thing I love that my Bishop says all the time

"We are all sick and broken and we come to church to be healed"

That is why I started going to church, it was because I was sick and broken and I needed help. I had nowhere else to turn, I had hit rock bottom.

I was lying on the floor, praying for something I didn't really believe in and even still he helped me. Hell, I still need help, lots of it and I've been a believer for 10 years now.

I will never be perfect, even if I went to church 24/7 because I am human first.

I try my best every day to be a good person, to be a blessing to others. I try to do the right thing to make God proud. Trust and believe for me, it is all about one day wanting to hear God say to me "Well done, my child, well done"

So for all of you out there who point the finger at me and say "But you're a Christian...."

Get over it, I am just a person trying to be the best person I can be. I try to use this gift God gave me, this gift to serve others, to try to help others with my gift of words. I speak of my God and all he has done for me because I am so grateful and hope others can find this feeling of peace and joy in their lives.

I do this because I know what it is like to be lost and broken and I am hoping to guide someone to his grace and mercy. I am trying to be the light and salt of the earth in all my broken ways.

So today my friends, I will leave you with this...all of Jesus apostles were not "great and holy"

Most were sinners who were trying to change and they still fell short. They followed him, believed in him until it got hard and yes, many of them even left him and forsaken him when it got hard. They were thieves, prostitutes and even Moses, who was a killer... yet Jesus accepted them. They were trying to be the best they could be, even though he knew they would never be "Perfect Christians" Jesus still loved and forgave them.

So today my friends, do me a favor, and don't point fingers...I am just a human trying my hardest to be "Christ like" that's all.

Remember this, it is one of my favorite bible verses which is so true.

"He who had no sins, cast the first stone"

Go ahead...anyone??

Yeah, I didn't think so.

We all are not perfect, even the ones who go to church every week. Stop acting like you are and maybe more people would want to go to church. Maybe more people wouldn't be so put off by religion. Maybe so many of you should stop being so religious and start being more like Jesus, who accepts everyone, flaws and all. Because we are just human.

"Be the change you want to see"

@Treadmilltreats

[agameforgoodchristians]

“Following God’s commands not being that difficult” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

Sometimes it is difficult to know exactly what a biblical writers means: the point of a passage can be rather opaque. At other times, it feels like the biblical writers are trolling us, calling us idiots.

This is one of those times.

Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

~ Deuteronomy 30:11-14

tl:dr =

  But, as always, we think context is important. 

New Country, New Rules

The book of Deuteronomy begins explaining the setting, the characters, and a summary of what will follow:

These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan—in the wilderness, on the plain opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. (By the way of Mount Seir it takes eleven days to reach Kadesh-barnea from Horeb.)  In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the Israelites just as the Lord had commanded him to speak to them. This was after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law as follows…

~ Deuteronomy 1:1-5

Moses is with the people at the tail-end of their journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Here he reminds them of the law (Torah) previously given to them: a refresher before they move forward and claim the promise.

As will all things biblical, especially in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, there are arguments over when things were composed, by who, and how our current text came to be. Chapter 30 of Deuteronomy is no different. Scholars argue that this section of Deuteronomy comes from a tradition separate from the surrounding verses (vss. 1-10 & 15-20) and has been edited/redacted to fit their context. 

A Slight Editorial Problem

[The next few paragraphs are nerdy, but stay with us. This is going somewhere.]

In short, vs 1-10 calls to mind the various blessings and curses previously laid out by God, through Moses, but it specifies that the people will eventually receive the curses. i.e. the people will turn away from God and will receive their just deserts (read: punishments) at the hand of God. However, it also speaks to the people’s eventual return from sin and God’s provision as a result. These verses display themes of repentance, redemption, and restoration.  

The problem is that these words are  at odds with verses 15-20, which repeat the call for repentance and exhortations to obey God’s command. However, the specific threats of curses given in this section do not neatly mesh with what vs 1-10 says— they seem to be positing a different reality. For example, vs 3-5 says that the punishment is exile from the land, while vs 18-19 prescribe utter annihilation. While either of these passages work well with vs 11-14, they don't all play well together.  

An interesting solution to this comes from biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman. He proposes that 29:29 naturally flows into our passage, 30:11-14, and the intervening verses could be simply be cut out. When applied, it's easy to see his point: 

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law. Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. 

~ Deuteronomy 29:29 and 30:11-14

Okay, so why should you care about any of that? Why is that speculation important?

Friedman's reading draws the eye to the clear parallel established in the text: there are things hidden and known only to the God, but there are also things that are readily reveled to humanity.

A New Story: Easy Access to the Almighty

The commandments given by God through Moses fall into the second category: the law (Torah) is freely given to us so that we may live as God intended, and without the hassle of a fight to obtain it. Thus the use of rhetorical questions-- "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” & “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” -- is significant for two reasons. 

First, it highlights the ease of revelation of God's commands. Second, there is a comparison being made between the way YHWH acts, and the way of the deities in all the surrounding nations: all those people mentioned at the beginning of Deuteronomy and throughout the Exodus journey.

Moses knows, they all know, that the land that they are in, and the land to which they are going, has stories different from their own. Stories of heroes who must travel great distances on perilous adventures. Those heroes cross land and sea, ascend to the heavens, plunge into the underworld, fight nature, monsters, and gods, often to obtain a prize, tangible or abstract. Among these tales are journeys to gain special, hidden knowledge from the gods; Great odds and perils must be overcome to obtain words from the divine. The Egyptians, Ugarities, Sumerians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Canaanites of various stripes across the Levant, all have mythos of this sort.

 But the Hebrew story is different. 

God went to humanity with his knowledge instead of expecting humanity to struggle obtaining it

 Despite what some may argue, God was very generous and very clear with knowledge in Eden: they only got in trouble when they believed that something was hidden from them: that they had to search for something other, better. God brought them what they needed, they tried to take more. 

After-which God went to the First Family and then to Cain with words of warning. God went to Abraham with promises and knowledge.  God went to Moses in a burning bush and sent he and Aaron to the people. Throughout the rest of the Scripture he pattern continues: God keeps sending prophets and priests, judges and kings (a couple of whom didn't suck). God lives among the people in the Ark, the tabernacle, the temple. In Jesus. In the Kingdom of God. The pattern is so clear we won't keep belaboring it. This is at the root of Paul's words in front of the Areopagus in Athens. That the God who made the world and everything in it, who gave all things things life and breath, who made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, figured out our times and locations, specifically so we can have access to a God who is so close by, we could find Him by simply reaching out our hand like a man groping in the dark (Acts 17:16-28). Here Paul is also responding (in part) to gnostic claims that divine knowledge (gnosis) is held in reserve for only special people. This is a thought that the writers of John's gospel and epistles, as well as other New Testament writings were also firmly against. God's revelatin is open to all. 

 Returning to the passage at hand, we see the reason both verses end with the same rhetorical question: “get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” The answer is, "no one." The God of the Bible, unlike other gods, gives divine law freely to all. It is given, not achieved through heroic deeds or specialized positions. 

You're on Your Own: Suck Less

The diction and direction of Chapter 30 of Deuteronomy revolves around two words: shema שְׁמָע ("hear"/"obey") and shuv שׂוּם ("turn"/"repent"). These words are vital to biblical concepts of holiness, and appear all over the chapter (shema vs. 2, 8, 10, 12, 13, 17, & 20 / shuv vs. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, & 10). The people must hear and obey God. They must turn themselves toward God and away from their own desires. 

This passage comes near the close of the Torah, and the end of the Moses’ life. It is presented as preceding Moses’ final words to his people. Soon they must live with these guidelines without him. They must walk before the Lord their God by themselves. Moses will not ascend any mountains to bring them the word, he will not cross the Red/Reed Sea with them as God’s emissary. Moses will no longer be the voice to remind them to shema  and shuv. They are on their own. But, thankfully, it's not that hard.  

But this is not only an Hebrew Bible/Old Testament concept "good chrisitians" can ignore because the law has passed away, or been fulfilled, or some other supersessionist, steeping in anti-semetic, bullshit sentiment to get them out of their moral obligations as human beings. The New Testament, doubles down on this idea. Think about it: What is the definition of sin in the New Testament? There are two of them. Really simple.

1. "All wrongdoing is sin" (1 John 5:17) 

You know that thing is wrong? Yes? That's a sin.

2 "Anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin" (James 4:17)

You know that thing is right, but you're not doing it? Yes? That's a sin.

The Bible gets us coming and going. 

Perhaps holiness is the hardest thing there is. Not because we don't know what to do, what not to do. Not because we need someone to patiently explain to us right and wrong. Not because we need someone to bring us a set of divine revelations to act like decent human beings. But because we simply make excuses.

Perhaps that's the point. 

Perhaps striving to suck less in all our endeavors-- by not doing the wrong thing, and doing the right thing-- is exactly what we and this world needs.

Perhaps when we fail, we should get up and make better choices the next time. 

But what do we know: we made this game and you probably think we're going to Hell. 

[bydesigndevinediva]

Leprosy?

Why? Is it because she spoke against Moses to Aaron. So why did God strike her with a skin disease because of what she said? How are the two connected? To find out we need to consider what is going on with skin diseases in the Bible.

There is a biblical connection between skin diseases and evil speech. In the Bible, a skin disease can be a result of some form of gossip or slander. That is because the skin disease does not come from physical contamination, but from spiritual contamination. That is why the priest needed to take a look at it. To discern if it was one of the skin diseases that had a spiritual cause. The spiritual condition of a person’s heart would bring about a physical manifestation of a skin disease.

Jesus (Yeshua) referred to what makes a person unclean when he said this:

“…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” – Matthew 5:18-20

Now, in modern times biblical leprosy is not in effect as it was when the Temple stood. These skin diseases were not a punitive measure for gossip and slander, they were corrective. In their own way these skin diseases were a blessing. People do not readily admit when they gossip and slander other people. These are sins of the heart, and many times they remain in the heart unless revealed by the one who hides them. By giving sins of the heart a physical manifestation there would be no way to hide these destructive sins, they would be dealt with. It is hard to deny that you have sinned when you get a supernatural skin condition from it.

This brings us to the incident in Numbers when God strikes Miriam with leprosy for what she says against Moses. So let’s take a look at those verses:

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the LORD heard it.” – Numbers (Bamidbar) 12:1-2 ESV

Even though both Aaron and Miriam seem to be speaking against Moses, since Miriam is mentioned first it is believed that she was the one doing the sinning since she is the one who comes down with the leprous spots. Her conversation is seen to be almost harmless, for us the temptation is to say that she must have been saying something terrible to receive the correction that she did. The fact that the sin is so small tells us a lot about how seriously God takes this sin. God confronts Miriam and Aaron:

“Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. – Numbers (Bamidbar) 12:9-10

What exactly did she say? The gist of the conversation may have gone something like this. “Hey Aaron why is Moses so special? God speaks to us as well, and Moses is married to that Cushite woman (this implies that Moses’ wife was a foreigner). All true facts, and in her heart, most likely a legitimate question. So why such a strong reaction? Let’s look at several reasons:

It shows how much respect God has for Moses and what their relationship is like. If God is like this with Moses and cannot abide the smallest verbal slight to him, then this gives us a good idea about how we should feel about those we consider close friends. The smallest slight and God comes immediately to the defense of Moses. Our we that loyal to our friends? I think it is something to strive for.It shows us how serious the offense of gossip really is. We might not think much of what we say about other people. Surely Miriam thought her words were perfectly fine at first. Moses does not take offense and even prays for her immediately, but Miriam’s words put a slight shade on the reputation of Moses. The strong reaction from God shows us that even the smallest infraction are serious to Him. We should take heed that we guard our speech carefully.It shows that God wants to make an example of Miriam so that others do not follow in her footsteps. Miriam, being a prophetess and a leader in Israel, is held to a strict accounting. If God would do this to Miriam over such a seemingly small matter, what might happen to someone not as important as Miriam? God did not want anyone thinking that this type of speech was harmless. It puts everyone on high alert to treat their neighbor with respect.It shows that while there may be forgiveness there are still consequences. Miriam still had to spend seven days outside the camp. Everyone waited for her to return. This was for Miriam’s benefit as well as the camp. Everyone would be carefully studying how to speak with one another because of what happened to Miriam, and Miriam would be making sure that this did not happen again.

Most translator’s and commentators translate the Hebrew word tzara’at (צָרַעַת) as ‘leprosy’. What we call leprosy in modern times is actually Hansen’s disease and it is unrelated to biblical skin diseases translated as leprosy in the Bible. It is a bit confusing, right? Don’t worry we can clear this up shortly. (No pun intended). Let’s start with a key verse.

“When a person has on the skin of his body a rising or a scab or a bright spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests,” – Leviticus (Vayikra) 13:2

There are three forms of the skin disease described here.

A RISING (שְׂאֵת) SE’ETH (seh-ATE) This word in Hebrew means to rise, to be exalted, to be elevated. For this reason, this form of skin disease was connected a person who would speak against others to raise his or her own stature.

A SCAB (סַפַּחַת) SAPPAHCHAT (sa-pah-CHAT) This word for this skin disease is related to the word for annexation SIPUACH (סִפּוּחַ). It represents the person who would not normally gossip, but if they were join a group of evil doers they would join right in.

A BRIGHT SPOT (בַּהֶרֶת) BAHERET (ba-he-RET) This word for bright spot means the same as the Hebrew word BAHIR (בָּהִיר), a bright spot. It represents the one who after they have spoken against another person then tries to justify his or her behavior and exonerate themselves by trying to make clear why they acted the way they did.

If we look at the description the Bible gives about the type of skin disease Miriam had, then we would have to say it matches the third kind the best. The text says she was covered like snow. This gives the idea that she was covered in white spots. Obviously, she justified her behavior, if not right before she spoke, then shortly after. After all wasn’t she just trying to find out why Moses was so special? She thought that her and Aaron were on the same level as Moses if not slightly better. This turned out to be a big mistake. It was so subtle that she seemed to have missed it.

This is why it is a good idea to pray for divine assistance each day to help us guard our speech. If it could happen to Miriam it could happen to anyone, and unlike back then we do not get struck with a skin disease when we gossip.

Why not? I do not have a definitive answer. I would say it is because there is no Temple, no Priest to declare clean or unclean, and no way to perform the necessary sacrifices. Instead we must study the Bible and know when we are gossiping. We must study the instruction of God regarding pure speech, if anything, we need to take more responsibility. You might ask, “If all of those things are gone how do we put things right when they go wrong?”

The answer is that God does not take things away and neglect to provide a way for forgiveness. As always, we repent of our sin. We see that we have done what is not right in the eyes of God. We change our hearts and begin to attach the same gravity that God attaches to our misdeeds. We need to view sin as He does. This begins with confession. We tell God that we have broken His commandments when it comes to how we speak. We repent which means we change our ways, we replace our ways with God’s ways. We work to turn our misdeeds into righteous acts. The critical thing is to really understand how on a practical everyday level God wants us to act toward each other.

One more verse I would leave you with is this:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1st John 1:9 ESV

You may think, “Okay, now I’ve got it. Thanks!” However, I would encourage you to dedicate some serious time in Bible study and prayer on this matter. So much hangs upon our words. The Bible is quite adamant about this subject. It seems to come up constantly in Scripture when you look for it. In fact, the world may just hang in the balance depending on how we speak. Let’s be the holy people God called us to be. Let’s learn to speak well and guard our tongues well.

Thank you for reading this and God’s grace to you as you consider these things for yourself.

#PandemoniumBroken

[soul-wellness]

40 days Resurrection Fasting

Wisdom comes when you come to know that you don’t know much about the mystery and truths of the universe. This moment of realisation is the beginning of your journey in seeking to be divine for we have been made in the image of God. 

Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judaean Desert before the angels ministered to him. It was also 40 days from Jesus’s resurrection to His ascension. The magic number 40 is the period of transformation from conception to birth for a new born. 

Furthermore, Noah was in the Ark for 40 days and forty nights until the earth was cleansed of a sinful world before a new beginning. Moses was on Sinai for 40 days, receiving the 10 commandments and he was in the desert for 40 years until he freed the Israelites from slavery into a new existence under the covenant. 

And so too will I fast for 40 days just with water. It was with a desperate need to go home that I give my total surrender into a holy mind and heart so that the soul may rise into light. My daily bread will be His words, reading the bible, listening to uplifting Christ songs, watching movies of Christ and meditation. My need to transform and transcend into a new spiritual soul rose above cravings for food, outings, activities or celebrations.

If you haven’t fasted before, please do a trial of 3 days with just water. On the 3rd night, have light bland soup. Too much flavours too soon will make you sick (as I have found out). Listen and feel your body through the changes. Master your mind and cravings. Know that you will not die from not eating solid foods. Feel empowered over this mastery of your mind and body for YOU ARE NOT THE BODY. YOU ARE NOT THE MIND. Set an intention of what you would like to know from God. Ask questions and listen. 

Leave 4 weeks in-between before doing the 40 days fasting. Note that from a blood test I was iron and vitamin D deficient so I still took these as recommended by my doctor through the fasting.  

Week 1 Fasting: 1st June 2021

Make your intentions clear of the person you wish to be after the fasting. Visualise yourself physically and spiritually what you’d like to transcend into. For me, I was ready to commit myself to Christ and do his work which was to heal people.  

Drinking water and coconut juice to get you through the hunger and also add some energy to be able to perform your usual duties such as work, chores and looking after the family. Your bowl movement will slow down on the 5th day and on the 7th day you’ll feel weak and have a brain fog. Drink a cup of almond or soy milk. You can add non caffeine chai and make a hot tea with a bit of honey. This is how I got through the first weak of fasting whilst looking after two robust gorgeous boys 5 and 4 years old. I still had to cook, clean, do the washing, get them ready for school, drop them off and pick them up from school, take them to after school activities, do grocery shopping and wake up 2 times a night when they called out for me. As a family, we still entertained friends at our place with me cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, serving and washing up. We also went out to restuarants to which I sipped on tea whilst feeding the kids. There was no temptation greater than my spiritual journey. Let your thoughts for food come and pass. Just remember that you can have all the food you want after 40 days. I can remember getting hungry once but I filled it with His words from King James Bible and beautiful songs about Christ.

Revelations: Through meditation and visions, I saw half of Jesus face. I see myself as a prophet healing people with Jesus standing behind me doing the real work through me. No one else can see Jesus so people thought that it was me. Know that I cannot do anything without God’s divine hand. In my dream, I see landscape changing from majestic mountains to deserts and I know that one day soon, I shall travel and heal. Jesus gave up his life for love on the cross. He gave up his life for us so that our souls may awake to find him. So too shall I live my life for love - for all. Another revelation was knowing that I had paid all my human debts. My last karma was to nourish and take care of my husband and two boys which is my present moment. I shall saviour this incredibly sweet time and make it the most memorable for my family before my journey outside of this circle. 

I was seeking for peace to which they responded by telling me to go inside (of myself) and find God’s voice. I have known Jesus’s tone for decades. His voice- always gentle, patient, kind and divine. 

I also dreamt that I was behind a stong thick heavy metal gate or cell and my husband was on the other side. Twice I bent down to pick up something that was thrown near the base of the gate; money or food, I am not sure. This was telling. I needed to break free and fly. 

Week 2 Fasting. Self Creation 

My body felt more comfortable now, shifting into a new habit of not eating solids. I have lost weight but sometimes that’s a good thing. I’m focused on doing some self care and self creation. The soles of my feet and tips of my fingers have been so rough and peeled from chores and neglect that dried peeled skin were catching on clothes and bed sheets. My face was dry, dull and wrinkled. I did some face masks with fresh aloe vera from the garden, dyed my greying hair and soaked my feet in magnesium salts. 

I created a business in health foods of health balls and self care bath scrubs. I sold these to retail store Whitton Malt House and friends. I hope to support my future travels and healing work with the business and pass it onto my sons. 

From a dream, I’ve decided to go full time pescatarian again. I had been a pescatarian for a couple of years but ran into some health issues part time vegetarian. I dreamt that I was crouching with a lion in the weeds then the lion pounced on a buffalo. I watched as the lion tore the other animal in pieces, chewing and swallowed bloody flesh. all of a sudden, I felt my teeth sink into raw animal flesh and downed meat drenched in red. I had become the lion but still with human consciouness and started dry reaching.  

We have so much food options now that it’s unnecessary to kill animals for meat or produce. This is about self creation and choosing new habits to live healthier and kinder to yourself and the universe. 

My husband who is a doctor had been reasoning with me to eat since I started due to future weak bones and organs shutting down ‘where are you getting your vitamins from?’. Jesus was taking care of me but the badgering was exhausting me. 

Revelation: God wrote a message in my dream after one of those  ‘I am. I am waiting.’ This was my God who guides me and gives me instant peace and assurance. This is your God too. Just listen. You’ll hear Him. Because He hears You.

The next night my message was ‘Be still. Know me and reveal me’. This came after my restless mind got caught up in creative projects and domestic family matters.

The following night they reiterated ‘Your mind is like a twig’ when still my thoughts jumped from social media, to friends, messages and other things. I had to refocus and get back to God.

Week 3. Recommit to the path. Priortise love for Jesus, Family and consciousness. You must know and really feel that your life is full to enable transcendent. That you have everything that you have ever wanted to experience as a human being - love, friends, children, travel and career. Your cup is overflowing. There is no more desire apart being with God.

‘God take me with you. Show me where to walk, I will follow’  

This week will be tough. You’ll stop going to the bathroom and have probably lost about 5-7kgs. You’ll be impatient, light headed without much energy. You’ll be tempted by Satan, it’s real. In a dream, Satan said ‘Come with me, God is not helping you’ to which I replied ‘I am with God and God is with me’.

Weak and feeling strangled at home with domestic chores, I went to spend a night alone at The Whitton Malt House, I indulged in reading King James Bible, Meditations by Thomas Moore, Return To The Centre by Bede Griffiths, John Paul II and Jesus and the Apostles by National Geographic. I meditated through the night as well. About 2am, came the realisation that the transcendent to enlightenment was actually the un-creation of the created self to return back to light and love in the original form when the word was spoken. My troubles at home were in fact my fault in not honouring each of my boys (sons and husband) for who they were. I had been imposing on these souls my righteous ways on how and what they should be - controlling, rendering, manipulating, conditioning, disrespecting, unkind, rude and yelling. All to which were resulting in anger, disappointment and causing disharmony in the home. I had been brought up this way that I wasn’t enough and needed to strive, be more and have more in order to be happy. I was bringing up my children the same way and expected my partner to be more too.  

With this realisation, my body started to purge out the pain, tension, desperation and ugliness of it all. It didn’t stop till daylight. It got me thinking then, how to uncondition the way that we’ve been raising generations after generations of children who are not enough that was aligned with this spiritual path. It was simple. Just leave their souls alone. They come fully aware ancient adult souls into this world. We all come into this world to return back to light and love. It was my job as a mother to nourish them so that they may live long enough to get to know their soul and re-establish their relationship with God again.  No-one is judging you but you. No-one is judging me but me. I had forgotten how to play with life and my kids. My children were in eternal play every single moment. It was I that imposed on their freedom and joy to be on time for a schedule I had made up for them. I lived in other people’s timeframe, other people’s moments and not the present moment of my children nor mine. I have the power to create peace and calm within the home without authorisation-ship and influence. I wanted a way in, not a way out.    

No one needs to be anyone but themselves. Life was simple. Life was love. That’s it. Everyone has come back to be loved and return back to love.  

Resurrection of the soul was building your own temple within yourself. No members, no institution, no law and authority over anyone. The only law was love and forgiveness. The only word to be obeyed was God’s words. 

I emergeged with the morning, lighter, peaceful, healed and resting in love and light. There was no thunderous moment of realisation. Just a silence from God to allow me to choose and feel that moment of bliss.

The message from this first attempt was to uncreate yourself of human expectations to return back to your light. You are enough, you always were. 20 days fasting completed. I aborted the fasting. I had to eat in order to sustain a level head to look after my family. I needed a break through on how to fast without loosing my mind and have energy to take care of my boys.  

[dailyaudiobible]

02/04/2020 DAB Transcript

Exodus 19:16-21:21, Matthew 23:13-39, Psalms 28:1-9, Proverbs 7:1-5

Today is the 4th day of February, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I'm Brian it is great to be here with you as we move fully into this brand-new month that we’re. What…what and what an honor it is to share history together, right, to be here, like to be on planet Earth here at the same time. It…it could've been different. We could’ve been 100 years ago, and this couldn't have existed, but we get to share this time, this patch of history together in the world and be connected around this Global Campfire as we let God's word speak to us. So, let's get to that. For today we’ll go back into the book of Exodus. And the children of Israel are purified. They’ve been purifying themselves and getting ready for an encounter with God. Exodus chapter 19 verse 16 through 21 verse 21. And we’re reading from the Voice this week.

Commentary:

Okay. Couple things to talk about today. In the book of Exodus God has come down and has met with the people and they are completely freaked out about it. And what we see today is God giving the 10 Commandments. What we’ll see over time is basically the systematic construction of a society. And we need to remember, the people that are around this mountain hearing from God right now, they don't really have an identity other than as a slave. That's all they ever were. So, God begins with what we call the 10 Commandments because they apply to everyone. But God will continue to organize His people as we go forward through time and through the Scriptures. And some of these things we can look at and go, “well, I don't know how to apply that. That doesn’t…that…that custom is not in the culture I live in. I’m not even sure that customs still in the world today.” Or we could read our 21st-century life into a culture that existed thousands of years ago and wonder why God would want them to do that or why they would even do this or that or the other. Don't get all caught up on that. What God is doing is coming to this people and establishing an identity, His chosen people, a nation of priests. He’s bestowing an identity upon them, and then telling them, “this is what a holy people looks like”. And, so, He's telling them, “Holy people don't kill other people. Like, Holy people don't commit adultery. Holy people don't steal from each other.” What God is doing is pulling these people dramatically forward in their understanding not only of who they are as God's people, but also of who He is as God. And a culture unlike any other culture in the world at this time is being established in the middle of the wilderness where they have no way in or out. Like, they’re utterly and completely at God's mercy and He's trying to show them that that is the safest place in the world. And we would do well to learn that lesson. So, God speaks of the people, the people are terrified, and they go to Moses and they’re like, “we…we…we cannot have God speak to us, that's too terrifying. We can't even pay attention we think we’re gonna die. You speak to us instead. We’ll listen to you. God can talk to you and then you tell us, and we’ll listen to you. This is where we begin to see the prophetic voice appear in the Bible and we’ll talk about that more in the coming days.

We got to the book of Matthew today and Jesus basically just lets loose. He just pretty much confronts straight up the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. These are the people who are entrusted to lead the people in the ways of God. And just hearing Jesus talk in Matthew 23, it's…it's heartbreaking because we know Jesus has come to Jerusalem and He's gonna get killed, He's gonna die going to be awful. And the people, the people, they were…their eyes were being opened but it was the religious leaders that were blocking the path. So, what is Jesus so upset about? What were they doing? What was He calling out? He had plenty to say, but if we distill it down what was he saying? He was saying, “you spiritual leaders will stand before a crowd and lock the door of the kingdom of heaven, right in front of everyone. What you say is not what you do. You'll travel all over the world to get a convert, but once you got one you enslave them as you are.” In other words, you've converted them to your system but not to God. And He’s like, “you have it…you just…you have it backward. You’re focused on the wrong thing, the exact…exact opposite. You’re putting value on what can be brought to God instead of understanding that it has a value because of God. You tithe from your luxuries, but you've ignored the essentials of the law - justice, mercy, faithfulness. You remove fine layers of film and dust from the outside of a cup or bowl, but you leave the inside full of greed and covetousness and self-indulgence. Can’t you see that if you clean the inside of the cup the outside to be clean too? You appear at first blush to be righteous and selfless and pure but inside you are polluted.” And there's more. I mean, you can go back and read it for yourself. It’s just…this is what's got Jesus so upset because this behavior masked and cloaked in religion was keeping people from entering the kingdom of heaven. And it’s so sad because after He says these things, after He lets loose, such an opportunity for repentance here, but instead they redouble their efforts to kill Jesus. But Jesus is brokenhearted. “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets whom God gives you, you stone those who God sends you. I’ve longed to gather your children the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refuse to be gathered. This will be the first time that we move into this territory this year, the story of Jesus arrest and trial and execution. And it's…it's super easy to just kind of go theological, “well, He was born to die and that was that and that was all part of the plan. And, so, I don't really…I don't really need to know a whole lot more than that”, but when we enter into the stories, when we walk with Jesus, when we listen coming out of the Gospels what He is saying to us, when we watch Him move around we see clearly something’s different and it's what we want. We want to live like that. And Jesus is revealing the kingdom saying, “you can, you can. You just have to wake up, you have to open your eyes, you have to open your ears. It's all here, you’re just not perceiving it. But that's too dangerous. That can upset the power share that's going on between these religious leaders and the Roman government. And although Jesus is drawing a crowd and is showing up on the radar, it doesn't look like He's trying to build a militia to attack the Romans. So, later on in the Bible we’ll see a depiction of the high priest at this time saying, “it’s better for one person to die then for all of us to die.” And Jesus's is putting himself in this position. Like He's willingly putting Himself in this kind of danger in order to bring light into the darkness to ultimately bring light into the darkest of dark. But it appears that the people who missed it the most and did away with Jesus were the people entrusted to bring people to God. Jesus is basically saying, “I…I’ve come for you and you’re refusing me.” Does that not just a little bit break your heart for God?” I know you’re saying, “that sounds weird. You know, He doesn’t have feelings. He's God. He’s the most-high God. He can just make more people. He can do whatever He wants, He’s God. He can be wherever He wants. For some reason though, He loves us and…yeah…whatever…whatever reason that is, He does. For whatever…for  some reason He’s still putting up with us, still believing that our eyes can be opened and…and we can stop this backward life that we’re and live forward, live from within, spilling out into the world, instead of the world flooding in and contaminating everything about us. Yes, indeed God loves you. god loves us and we will be seeing just how much in the coming days.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We love You. It's hard to try to enter into these stories and walk with You. It’s easy to just read them as stories, cute little Bible stories we've heard our whole life but it's different to try to walk those stories with our hearts and open ourselves to You and see what You are facing and to see that You've never lost hope in us, that You've never given up on us. And we’ve accused You of it plenty, but it's just never happened, that's never been the truth. And, so, Jesus we just want to say how…how much we do love You…we love You Lord and we’re grateful and the words will fail very quickly because what can we say? We don't have anybody else in our lives like You. Your goodness can silence us because there is no vocabulary to describe it. And yet, You have come for us, to gather us, to know us. You want to know us? And all we have to do is open our eyes that we’re living backwards and reveal our hearts to You completely. And we were talking about that yesterday and we talk about it again. Come Holy Spirit, we open ourselves completely. We want no deceit whatsoever between us in any way. We've seen what an honest life looks like in the Scriptures and You have invited us into that life although the path is narrow. Come Holy Spirit and show us the way. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to stay plugged in and connected in any way that you can and in any way that you will.

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And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

[the-christian-walk]

REFOCUSING ON GOD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:

“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.”

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Acts 15:7-11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

These words were written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus as a reminder that salvation is not earned by accomplishing tasks. There isn’t some checklist that prospective believers need to complete before they could be saved. No, salvation is a gift from God. He is the divine Giver of every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17).

Note here that Paul is placing the focus on God and God alone. He is to be the One who gets the glory when it comes to the matter of being saved from sin. After all, didn’t Jesus say this?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Salvation started with God, just like everything else in creation. He loved the world, not just some of it but all of it, that He offered up His Son Jesus so that anyone who believed in Him would not perish but live forever.

God did that. He is central to all things and He is in total control of all things.

God does what He wants, when He wants. No man dictates the way things should be.

This was obviously a concept that was lost by some of the Pharisees for in yesterday’s message, we saw where they demanded that all new Gentile Christians “be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). These Pharisees were still living in the past and unwilling to consider that God had decided to enact a new covenant with His people, a new covenant that only required a prospective Christian, Jew or Gentile, to believe in Jesus as Savior to gain everlasting life. As we move on in our study of Acts 15, we find Paul surgically attack the flaw in the Pharisaical argument and he did so by refocusing the Jewish believers on their God. His rebuttal after much discussion contained these main points:

1. God made the choice to extend salvation to the Gentiles.

Paul was just an apostle who was carrying on the work of Jesus to make new disciples and that work didn’t discriminate between Jews and non-Jews. God had deemed that Gentiles might hear the Gospel, believe and be saved, and that’s exactly what was taking place. Things happened just like God said they would.

2. God accepted the Gentiles as much He did the Jews.

God chose to save the Gentiles along with the Jews and with that came immediate acceptance. He was the God of all, no matter a person’s national origin. It was true in New Testament times and it has been true ever since.

3. God imparted the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles.

Up to now in Acts, we have seen this happen on more than one occasion. You may recall how Peter was in Joppa when a Roman centurion named Cornelius had a vision from God, commanding him to send for Peter. At the same time, Peter was experiencing a vision of his own while on Simon’s rooftop in Joppa which provided him guidance from God on what was clean and unclean. You’ll remember that it was centered on eating certain animals but the point made in the vision was much broader than that. Peter was told that only God had the right to deem something unclean and He had decided to grant salvation to the Gentiles. Ultimately, God had the authority and right to do what He wanted to do and Peter realized that he had to adjust his thinking to align with God’s changing salvation policy. And so, he went to Caesarea and shared the Gospel with Cornelius as well as his family and friends. The household believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10).

This was what Paul was getting at. God had shown already that the Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit from Him just like everyone else. No one group had special privilege with God over another in this regard.

4. God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith.

To purify something was to make it holy. The Jews had treated all Gentiles (essentially anyone not a Jew) as being anything but holy. Gentiles weren’t even allowed into the temple courts in Jerusalem. An area of prayer was set up outside the temple for anyone that wasn’t a Jew and the message sent was clear. The Jews wanted the Gentiles to know they were outsiders when it came to relations with God. They would always be in line after the Jews, that was the attitude, so Paul sought to attack that assertion in his address.

Like a skilled lawyer, Paul had built up main points to set up his closing words to the Pharisees, and as our passage concludes, we see him finish off the argument. Look again at those words here:

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Here, we see Paul go right back to refocusing everyone on God. His question should have cut to the heart of the Pharisees raising objection. For we see Paul asking a simple question:

“Why do you put God to the test?”

Indeed, why? Who has the right to do that to an almighty, sovereign God?

Certainly, no one, not even Jews who were at one time God’s specifically chosen people.

In the end translation, the Pharisees had no place imposing their own beliefs on what should happen with the Gentiles. Their only concern should have been making sure that God’s will was done, no matter what that will was, no matter if they agreed with it or not. If God said it was to be, then it was to be. End of discussion.

Friends, today we need to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. We can’t allow ourselves to be modern day Pharisees, misguiding people by sharing how we think they should live in lieu of focusing our attention on God and what He desires. In other words, none of us has the right to trump God when it comes to what He deems should happen. His will and way is to always reign supreme.

How would the Pharisees respond to Paul’s words?

As we’re going to see in tomorrow’s message, Paul, along with Barnabas, still had much to say. I hope you’ll join me to see what they had to say.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com