#genealogy of the returned exiles

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Genealogy of the Returned Exiles

1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.

2 Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.

3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;

4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.

5 And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.

6 And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.

7 And of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,

8 And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;

9 And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.

10 And of the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,

11 And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;

12 And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;

13 And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

14 And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;

15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;

16 And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.

17 And the porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief;

18 Who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.

19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry.

20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the Lord was with him.

21 And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

22 All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.

23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the Lord, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.

24 In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.

25 And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them.

26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

27 And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.

28 And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.

29 Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.

31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.

32 And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.

33 And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.

34 These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.

35 And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife's name was Maachah:

36 And his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab.

37 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.

38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.

39 And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

40 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begat Micah.

41 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.

42 And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;

43 And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

44 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel. — 1 Chronicles 9 | King James Version (KJV) The King James Version Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 19:3; Genesis 22:24; Genesis 46:10; Genesis 46:12; Exodus 6:21; Exodus 30:23; Numbers 25:7; 1 Samuel 9:1; 1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Samuel 14:49; 2 Samuel 4:4; 2 Kings 7:10; 2 Kings 11:5; 1 Chronicles 5:25-26; 1 Chronicles 6:31; 1 Chronicles 8:35; 1 Chronicles 8:37-38; 1 Chronicles 10:1; 1 Chronicles 23:29-30; 1 Chronicles 26:2; Ezra 2:38; Ezra 2:43; Nehemiah 11:1; Nehemiah 11:8; Nehemiah 11:15; Nehemiah 12:28; Jeremiah 35:2; Jeremiah 35:4; Jeremiah 52:24; Ezekiel 40:45; Matthew 12:4; Luke 22:4

[jacesvelaryons]

His Chosen Bride (Senator!Coriolanus Snow x Capitol Reader).

Chapter 1

masterlist

series masterlist

excerpt

summary: senator coriolanus snow seems on top of the world with everything in his life ahead of him except for one thing. the perfect bride. in his pursuit, your life changes forever.

word count: 1.7k

a/n: thank you everyone for your patience as I prepared this!! i hope you all love it and show your support through likes, reblogs and especially comments of what you thought! i love hearing what my readers and other people in the fandom think about my work, so any of your thoughts would be appreciated.

requests OPEN

Upon his return to the Capitol, his reputation restored, wealth acquired from the Plinths who so generously named him the heir to their grand fortune, his path to power was paved for him and he knew he just had to take the strides to get to the prize. The Presidency.

Coriolanus Snow, scion of one of the oldest and most elite of bloodlines of the great Panem families was home, his shameful exile to District 12 remembered by no one and purged from the registry.

Enrolled in university and an apprentice gamemaker, he was eventually promoted to become Senior Gamemaker upon Dr. Gaul��s semi-retirement and her preparation to hand off the reins to her protégé. Her brain child whom she molded from the vestiges of his sorrow and pain, of his loss in the districts and what hardened him into the man he was now.

When he graduated with honours from the political science department, it was only a few months before he was elected in a landslide to become the youngest Senator in Panem’s history, relying on his contributions to the recent games, memories of his late parents to those of a certain age to secure his win.

He would have considered re-election for another term before advisors of his and other cabinet members of the old, sickly President Ravinstill were close to swearing their support but all echoed the same thing that he lacked, they said. It was not his youth, he was wise for his age they said, but he was not married. If he had a wife, they said - they would be on board for his presidential election. And it seemed that election would be sooner than later, even before his first term finished.

Coriolanus needed to find a wife, not just of good breeding, but of the most impeccable lineage, from among the most illustrious hundred or so families of Capitol society. It was a given it would be purely political and strategic, someone whom he could not love and open his heart to after his previous tragedy pursuing such.

The perfect bride. The search for the perfect companion, the woman whom he would call his wife, his future first lady, and mother of his heirs. The ideal woman who would bridge the gap between his dreams to make them a reality.

He could not just choose the first possible candidate recommended to him or that caught his eye, Coriolanus had to devise a thorough, multi-step testing process to find his perfect wife, his bride.

A rigorous procedure would be curated in finding her. Interviews, tests, exams, genealogical inquiries, fitness tests, and practice scenarios will be prompted from eligible candidates, already filtering through those only from the old, grand families upon application.

Digging through his family library into the latest edition handbook of noble and elite families of the Capitol’s upper class, the creme de la creme, ignoring recently disgraced clans, ones full of scandal and controversy, with plenty of illegitimate children, and extinct ones rotting in poverty nearly like his own had he not reversed their fortune.

He scheduled a meeting with his advisors and closest allies on creating the program, the selection process, examinations and interrogation, and how to make the announcement for the families of these eligible girls to put their names in, with their consent or not.

Coriolanus Snow was born from the upper echelon of society, and only deserved the best woman with whom he would continue his lineage with and hail his presidency with. No one had dared, rather self-important he could argue if he cared, to make as many girls clamour for his attention rather than to propose to a woman of his choice.

Just as he was about to put the book down and shut it closed, a name caught his attention. Yours. Your lineage, accomplishments, your etiquette were second to none, and he had to have you. At all costs. He would burn heaven and hell, but the question remains - would he win you over? Or will he have to force your hand no matter what?

Besides, he requires others to choose from, even if you are the most qualified. It would not do well for your ego to have the satisfaction you were chosen for. He wants you to want it, to beg for it, claim it and aspire to be one worthy to be by his side, motivated by the competition who would slit your throat and ruin your reputation for it.

And yet a lingering thought crept up his mind. He had brought life back into the Hunger Games, that was on its dying breath before his arrival, why not another? Everything is a game if you try hard enough.

…

A brightly lit room surrounded you as you grabbed a few more pieces of dandelions and baby’s breath bunches for your bouquet, in your floral arrangement lessons for the week. Under the watchful eye of your teacher, a premiere florist who is hired by the Capitol’s elite for the most fashionable and well-sought events every season.

Hailing from one of the oldest families among the Capitol’s blue bloods, your family may not be the wealthiest but definitely prosperous to be among them, yet your lineage is prominent even before Panem’s founding, the most ancient of them all.

In your family home’s perfectly manicured garden, you immerse yourself in the arrangement, something that would impress your teacher yet also something you would find pleasant in a vase by your study. No way would someone of your heritage be found associating with anything subpar.

After your studies at the Academy, your lessons and tutoring would never end, usually something different for each day. Piano, ballet, etiquette, floristry, household management, painting and so on.

As you gathered a crimson bow around the branches of your bouquet, you could hear murmurs among the uniformly dressed maids and servants around the stately home, as your mother jaunted towards you in her glossy designer heels.

“Yes, mother?” You greeted politely, observing the unreadable expression on your mother’s face.

She approached you carefully, gently taking your hands in her own, soft and having never experienced hardship.

“A great honour has been bestowed on you, daughter. A promising Senator has taken a liking to you, and wants you to be considered for his future bride.” Your mother smiles in celebration and pride, and your brows furrow in consternation.

“A Senator as old as father? A man old enough to be my grandfather-”

“Hush, darling. He is young, from a proper family of the elite family unlike those Plinths, new money scum. Senator Coriolanus Snow, the son of late General Crassus Snow and his wife Victoria Snow. He is only twenty four, I think you would like him.” She brushes your hair behind your ears, but you turn away from her, pushing her hands away.

“Twenty four, when I am eighteen?”

Your mother shrugs. “It is the way of the world I suppose. I was your age when I met your father. Eighteen and he was twenty one, a match fit for the sort like us.”

“You mentioned I was being considered but no outright proposal or courting has begun. What do you mean?”

She unveiled a large envelope she was holding behind her back, taking it out for you before a gold hued canvas invitation was unveiled.

Dear Y/N L/N and family, I hope this letter finds you well. As I have progressed through my career as a gamemaker and politician, it has been too long since I have navigated through life without a lifelong companion and wife.

You are a woman of unblemished character, accomplished in many ways, intelligent, well-bred and would fit the bill of what a man like me seeks in a future partner.

There is no guarantee that you must receive this invitation and accept, but rather that your name will be included in a pool of candidates to be considered. I hope that you and your family would view this as a position of honour, and even if you shall not be chosen, you will be compensated for your time and this shall only raise your standing in our society.

Please reply to the number and address attached below with your response, and I would be beholden and pleased to hear if you would put your name forward to possibly become my future First Lady.

Sincerely, Senator Coriolanus Snow

You could not believe it, the humiliation of not being asked directly for one’s hand in marriage but having to compete with other ladies of society and grovel for his attention.

“Are you and papa seriously making me do this? The Hunger Games to be someone’s wife and heir maker?!”

Your mother sighs, shaking her head as she crosses her arms. “You do not understand, child. I have heard of other elite families whose daughters, sisters, nieces such as the Heavensbees, the Cardews, Dovecotes, among a few have been invited and all have accepted. No one would even think to refuse a Snow!”

“But it is not guaranteed. How would I not be offended if he did not make a guaranteed offer but wants me to participate like I am in a beauty pageant. I have to close off even entertaining other suitors and I am not even assured that I will not be left dry and humiliated if I was not chosen.”

“Your grandmother was Miss Panem many years ago before the war and those rebels ruined everything, I am sure he will choose you. Even if he did not, any other unmarried peer of yours would scoop you up in no time, that if Snow perceived you as someone potential, they are from the cream of the crop.”

You sighed, putting down your shearing tools and your bunches of daisies and baby’s breath. You never liked roses.

“You have always aimed for the stars, daughter. Would you pass on an opportunity like this or be forgotten to the tombs of time?” Your mother suggests, walking over to you with a guiding hand on your shoulder. “Choose wisely if you want to make something of yourself, to not pass on opportunities like this.

Golden letter in hand, you stared intensely at the dark line above your name, signifying whether you would submit your name or not. With a bold stroke of your ink pen, you sign your fate and future away. I agree to participate.

Let the games begin.

His Chosen Bride Taglist:

(if your name is bolded, I put in your user but it didn't show up when prompted so I'm not sure if you got notified!) Please let me know if you'd like to be added and reminded every time I update.

@xsunaxrinx @bialuvss @emma0320 @callieyanderechan @crimsonred13 @starcrosslove @castellandiangelo @sylmthadmnglla13 @tragicmiserybone @o12lk22gr @anna-stasia @paumartinezsstuff @coriosbunni @nora4us @jupiterstearx @corvinaweeb @batman1asf @imperfectophelia @madmaxsalltoowell @vicky2408 @folklorelogy @bradpittwh0re @linaa20 @abcde601375 @kickmybark @emynunez21 @princessofthereach @maeve-a24 @ellie-bellie-29 @ashfromurfire @dante-pearl @yuuuumii @kxksksjjd @everythingjp @frill0 @aslalali @addriaenne @joyfulyouthlover @rbrsvb @motomami111 @imamybubbles @x-gabrielle-x @crystalstars88 @cc13723things @izzy02soph @shycandykitty @thtweirdointhecornr1917 @drpeperrlover11 @starmaiden @itz-me-cherie @papi-chulo69000 @meetmeatyourworst @sombodynotimportant @hyunjinspdf @bellaramseysgirlfriend @mari-mari12 @kis9na @lvrdilfs @mizuki80mizuki80 @deago21 @hafisjfjsit @miniatureblazellama @livid-euphoria @sugaxmamii @kropka4321 @jamesyrobin @joana2934 @kotadislikesthissite @byisy @shinae28 @atlasedelgard @eimearj123 @urfavewh0r3 @sophs-sofa @dreammie-marrie @cos-ilsee @nikolaikirche0 @bigwmc66 @mandoskenobi @theswreties @soniusstuff @1lovesnowballs @bitvhese @craftycloudcollection @byraaaaan19 @mythic-moon-moth @reading-in-velaris @bestboymikey @marytargaryen @cleverpeachheropersona @adeline32sblog @snowdrops-png @lysonal @tiffdx @bingxuu @noothemoo

[satanicallypanicky]

intro post, like if read

The Basics:

this is a side blog of @theonewhocounts

I'm 33 years old, white, transmasc genderqueer (they/he pronouns), and autistic.

this blog is for my spirituality. theistic Satanism, Anglo-Saxon heathenry, and eclectic paganism mostly, but I'm going to reblog all sorts of religious stuff that strikes my fancy or educates me about other faiths.

I am an anarcho-syndicalist and hold no frith with fascists. Radical inclusion or bust.

I do divination with tarot and oracle cards, dice, runes, and obsidian mirrors. Open for requests.

if you're interested in joining a small diverse discord server for theistic satanists of all sorts, hit me up for the invite link.

i tag answered asks with #ask

DNI, I guess?

Nazis, TERFs, antisemites, folkists, and any other such motherfuckers can fuck directly off into the sun.

Proselytizers of any stripe, including Christians who would like to convince me to "return to the Lord" or whathaveyou. No thanks.

I block porn blogs and fetish Satanists. Not because I don't like porn (I assure you, that's not the case) but because I don't want my devil-worshipping to be sexualized. Follow me from your non-porn accounts or don't follow me.

I block Lilith worshippers. I respect Judaism and Jewish culture as closed. Lilith is Not For Us. For full reasoning, see this ask.

The Somewhat Less Basics:

I'm white. My ancestry is predominately from Germanic and "British Isles", but I was raised entirely "privileged American WASP". Despite being exiled from that family and experiencing poverty and homeless as a teen and adult, my background shapes my worldview.

Given my settler-colonialist heritage, I make a conscious attempt to stay out of closed practices and appropriately honor the land upon which I live.

I was raised Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Catholic (it's complicated).

I am an eclectic pagan and polytheist. I got started in paganism through genealogical research and an ancestral connection to Englisc/Anglo-Saxon heathenry (folkists GTFO) so most of my worship is conducted through that framework of practice.

I think most/all gods are real and powerful, but I am somewhat choosy about the ones I choose to honor and worship for myself. I suppose that makes me henotheist.

I am a theistic Satanist- I worship Satan as a god of rebellion and opposition, rejection of authoritarianism, justice, and forbidden knowledge (amongst other things). I worship several other gods and/or demons as aspects or very close counterparts of Satan. Further information can be found in this ask.

I venerate my ancestors and honor the spirits and wights of the land and the home.

I have no ill will towards Christians as individuals. Satan is the Adversary of the Christian god, however, and so there are things upon which Christians and myself will fundamentally disagree. And that's okay.

I hold some Buddhist practices & philosophy very close to my heart.

The Gods I Honor

Satanic “Pantheon”

Satan

Asmodeus

Azazel

Belial

Leviathan

Lucifer

Fyrnsidu (Englisc/Anglo-Saxon Heathen) Pantheon

Wōden

Frīg/Fréo

Ing

Thunor

Tīw

Sunne

Mōna

Herthe

Wada

Wuldor

Sceadu

I am more than happy to answer questions about my spirituality and what sorts of weird religious shit I get up to. Hit me up.

“Around us, life bursts with miracles--a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life's daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.” -Thích Nhất Hạnh

[witchofhimring]

(Silmarillion OC)

Caranthir x OC

Ilë  was the youngest of two sisters, born to Vanyarin parents. Ilë's family was heavily involved in the court of Finwe and were highly respected courtiers. Her mother was a handmaiden of Queen Indis and her father served King Finwe. Ilë used her mother name since she was little.

Name(s):

Ilë  (Star) Mother name

Melyanna (Dear Child) Father name

The Fallen Star Moniker

Genealogy: Vanyarin

Date of birth: Y 1368

Date of death: SA 3319 (Fall of Numenor)

Family

Father: Falastir

Mother: Erulissë

Sister: Ellótë

Husband: Caranthir

Children: none

Physical description: Golden blonde hair that hung to her waist. Periwinkle blue eyes, round and slightly hooded. Pale skin with flushed cheeks. Ilë is 6'1 making her of average height for a female elf. She has a round face, prominent cheeks, deep dimples and a slightly upturned nose.

Personality:

Ilë was a bright and happy person before the rebellion of the Noldor. She loved to love and be loved, craving affection. She is very loyal to people and gets attached easily. This intense loyalty can sometimes put her in a difficult position. Sometimes Ilë is unaware than her clinginess can make others uncomfortable. Ilë is the type to wear her heart on her sleeve.

Story: (short version, Ilë will get her own one shot as some point)

-Born into an important Vanyarin, Ilë's family moved to live under the rule of King Finwë shortly after her parents married. Ilë's early years were spent in close proximity to the children of Arafinwë and she struck up a friendship with his daughter Galadriel.

-As an adult she became a lay-in-waiting to Queen Indis and became an apprentice to Findis. Her craft was writing and during her time in Tirion Ilë wrote many books.

-She met Caranthir during a masked ball. They ended up striking up a relationship that evolved into a marriage. Unlike the rest of his brothers Caranthir lived away from the rest of their family. Choosing to stay out of politics the two lived a quiet life.

-When things got worse between Feanor and Fingolfin they were forced to return. When Feanor is exiled Ilë follows Caranthir into exhile despite her misgivings.

-During the rebellion of the Noldor Ilë follows Caranthir into Middle Earth and his holdfast.

-Ilë only leaves Caranthir when he orders her to stay with Celebrimbor in Nargothrond. From then on she stays in the household of Celebrimbor. She will eventually hear of Caranthir's death. -During the second age Ilë lives with Celebrimbor in Eregion and becomes reclusive. Shortly before the fall of Eregion Ilë is placed under the care of Elrond. When she hears of Celebrimbors death Ilë has a complete mental breakdown and does not recover in this life.

-The descendants of Elrond's brother look after her. As Numenor grows Ilë is well looked after. But soon the last king of Numenor usurps his cousin. While Ilë is kept alive she is imprisoned. When the sinking of Numenor happens Ilë watches the city being pulled under the waves. She closes her eyes and welcomes death.

-Ilë will spend some time in Mandos. She refuses to see her husband and is reborn a century before the events of The Hobbit. Once back in Valinor she lives with Nerdanel.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

8th September >> Mass Readings (USA)

Feast of The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White: A (1))

Either:

First Reading Micah 5:1-4a The time when she who is to give birth has borne.

The LORD says:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading Romans 8:28-30 For those he foreknew he also predestined.

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 13:6ab, 6c

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation.

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Either:

Gospel Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

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

Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

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

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel Matthew 1:18-23 For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

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

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[thebookofnehemiah]

"The Wetlands Towns." From the Book of Nehemiah, "the Exploration of the Mysteries of the Lions that Lay," 7: 4-7.

We now encounter a previously unknown aspect of the Tanakh, a dictionary of God's names which He wants us to add to our own personal template of existence. We do not know how or in what configuration the angels communicated these terms to the Jewish prophets, only that when properly enhanced using human language techniques called Mishnah, we reach a plenum of consciousness with the divine that can be accomplished no other way .

Mishnah means "fattening" and is a tedious process. We will add to the Tanakh in sections to make the process feasible. The topical area of the book one is studying is critical for performing a Mishnah. Talmud focuses on the Mashiach, Ruth on romance, Esther on social justice, this book Nehemiah is a training guide for the princes of Israel. As with most books in the Tanakh they take time get their engines started and reveal their true purposes. This one reveals now it was written to shatter the barrier Jews feel between the Self, mankind and God. There is no such thing as a Jewish outcast or exile. This is mankind's greatest most tragic mistake. Of this the Jew must convince himself first.

The Nsh, a glamorous, smart, enlightened and beautifully intentioned Jewish prince or princess called Nsh or Nsha is, according to the Zohar the beginning of the end of the exile of the Jewish people. We can't just put a crown of leaves on some skinny twat's head. As with all things Jewish there is a Nehemiah Torah we must follow. It is heavily encrypted but the intention is to give the Jewish people a secure and prestigious place within mankind.

The passage opens with a discussion of a large city with no one in it. The text says the Nsh must call to the common people and deify them by writing their names on the Temple Wall as they return to the Synagogue.

We've written Jewish names down for other reasons, the Zohar says now we do it for the sake of God's Glory and our own. The process starts with officials, people who have always thought their name belonged on such a registry, persons from other faiths and ethnic origins are invited to be a part of the rebirth of the Kingdom of Israel. Notice the narrator says the exile began under Nebuchadnezzar whose name means "help the prophets struggle, with a glowing spear."

"Root נבא (nb') means to speak on behalf of, or in the stead of, some authority. Noun נביא (nabi') means spokesman or speaker and is also the Biblical word for prophet. Verb נבא (naba') means to prophesy or speak for some authority. Noun נבואה (nebu'a) means prophecy. Noun נביאה (nebi'a) means prophetess.

The verb כדד (kdd) isn't used in the Bible but in cognate languages it means to toil severely or be very tired. In the Bible this root appears to have to do with fire: glowing or baking. Noun כד (kad) means jar. Noun כידוד (kidod) means spark or red glow. Noun כדכד (kadkod) denotes a gem, possibly a ruby.

The verb כיד (kyd) is also not used in the Bible but in cognate language it means to strive or struggle. The noun כידון (kidon) describes an instrument of war, particularly a dart or javelin."

=

We use every legal means possible to kill all the Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah's Witlesses, Scientologists etc. that contributed to, knew about, or participated in October 7, 2023. Each shall get a number and that number shall be reduced to zero. You shall be hunted throughout all eternity by the Fanatic Guards till none of you are left.

While the terrorists are all dying, the Jewish people shall come to life:

The List of the Exiles Who Returned

4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 

5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah).

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 4: The houses had not yet been rebuilt. The Number is 7803, זף‎ג‎, Joseph safag, = sabag, "the agar food of the military engagement."

Our verb focuses on the unified behavior of any closely interlinked group, whether it's an army that moves as a single unit but with separate divisions (Numbers 31:7), or Levites serving in the tabernacle (Numbers 4:23) or women serving at the tabernacle's entrance (Exodus 38:8). Since in the Old Testament large, unified groups are usually armies, this verb mostly expresses military engagement. But to conclude that our verb is essentially military — and therefore that the servants of the tabernacle were engaged in spiritual warfare (as per HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) — is fantastic and wildly off the wall.

Our verb expresses a wholly integrated organization and all its activities: in the inevitable military sense, the whole of the military that consists of soldiers, cooks, engineers and what not. Our word 'military' is thought to have to do with the Sanskrit noun melah meaning 'assembly', which hits the nail on the head. A military engagement described by this verb covers not just the actual battle but rather the whole gamut of intelligence, planning and diplomacy; the whole engagement.

=

You people are so disgusting and despicable and now you are all terrorists and that means you are as good as dead.

v. 5: So God put in my heart to assemble the writing. The Number is 8187, חאחז‎ ‎ ‎hahis, from Achish= He Was Afraid, Majestic, Angry, Gift Of God...

v. 6: They came, each to their own town. A town is 1090, yitz, which means to protect the Self is a small shield, to abide the Constitution is to a large shield. Towns contain persons who are amenable to both kinds of protections.

The Number is 14669, ידו‎ו‎ט, jadwat, "the wetlands." The wetlands are the place God first step foot upon after He exited the Vault. Every sentient being must exit the vault and walk on wetland in order to live in a town. The marshes of the Nile Delta were the first places the Jews walked through on their way out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

There are twelve Nshy personalities found in towns near the wetlands:

v. 7: The Number is 6230, ו‎ב‎ל‎, and bell, "every time an angel gets its wings, a bell rings." Everyone who lives in a town needs a Jewish name  in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah

Zerubbabel= pressed out of Babbel,

Joshua= salvation

Nehemiah= makes the lions lay down

Azariah= the strength of God

Raamiah= what God has freed

Nahamani=He comforts with compassion

Mordecai= and resists all oppression

Bilshan=and wears out all calamity

Mispereth=gets a Number, is accounted for, is elevated from common status

"The root ספר (spr) has to do with information technology: the efficient storage, retrieval and sharing of data. Long before fiction and recreational reading was a thing, record keeping was mostly a mathematical and economic enterprise, mostly conducted by specialized priests. The invention of the alphabet made writing easy and elevated every common man to the priestly level, and allowed everybody to study whatever they wanted. This allowed a deluge of original thought to enter collective consciousness, which in turn raised the level of human diversity, and thus complexity and thus cultural bliss.

Noun ספר (seper) denotes any kind of record, historical records, legal documents, prophetic messages, and so on. Noun ספרה (sipra) means book or a bundled collection of records. Denominative verb ספר (sapar) means to write or produce a ספר (seper): to carefully observe, to recount, to record. Noun ספר (sopor) or ספור (sopor) means scribe; someone who produces a ספר (seper). Noun ספר (separ) means census. Noun ספרה (sepora) means number, sum or amount. And noun מספר (mispar) means number."

Bigvai=comes within the means of the coast of God,

"Prefix ב (be) means in, within or by means of.

There are four different verbs אוה ('wh), which all appear to express a desire or movement toward something. Noun אי ('i) means coast, which has been mankind's preferred place to settle since time immemorial. Nouns או ('aw), מאוי (ma'away), אוה ('awwa) and תאוה (ta'awa) all mean desire. The noun אות ('ot) means mark or sign, and humanity's earliest marks were not to assert private ownership but rather a collective identity: something to draw toward and gather around. Noun אי ('i) means jackal, and noun איה (ayya) means hawk or falcon. These creatures were possibly named after their supplicatory calls, or else their rapturous method of predation."

Nehum=consolidation = constitute the Kingdom of Israel.

Baanah=Lift up your faces and rejoice!

"What God has freed must remain free."

Fate is what we deserve, destiny is what we earn, but that is ultimately at the disposal of the interplay of the world with the individual. The Identity however, that belongs to the Self alone and must be free to be.

[perpetualteenagegirl]

i looked up jewish diaspora on proquest and this is what i found

DellaPergola, Sergio. "Notes Toward a Demographic History of the Jews." Genealogy 8.1 (2024): 2. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2024.

This journal outlined how Jewish populations adapted to ever-changing global circumstances, mainly socioeconomic and political changes. Two main events the journal emphasizes are the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel.

Davidovitch, Nitza, Aleksandra Gerkerova, and Natalia Kerdivar. "Holocaust: Artistic Dimensions of Contemporary Ukrainian Prose (using the Example of Larysa Denysenko’s Echoes: From the Dead Grandfather to the Deceased." Humanities 13.1 (2024): 17. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2024.

This source stresses the problem of the collective memory loss of the Holocaust. Stating that, over time, general interest in the event has been dwindling. It is the goal of the authors to bring to light other perspectives of the Holocaust to refresh it in the public's minds.

Werdiger, Ori. "Migration, Exile, and Vocation in the Metropol: The Figure of Joseph in the Early Writings of Léon Askenazi." Religions 15.6 (2024): 673. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2024.

This journal focuses on the migration of Jews from Algeria to France in the 1950s to 1960s. The paper specifically notes one perspective from a Jewish intellectual who interpreted exile as a positive force for Jews. This view offers an alternative to a Zionist lens of wanting to return to Israel.

Rashkover, Randi Lynn. "Beyond the Secular-Religion Divide: Judaism and the New Secularity." Religions 15.4 (2024): 433. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2024.

This text takes a 2015 Pew Research study that states that American Jews are getting less and less religious. The author argues that American Jews aren't getting less religious it's only that the ways they practice are changing as the times change.

[mattanaministry]

Mattana Ministry

Welcomes You To:

Daily Bible Study: 5 July 2024

Theme: Book of Nehemiah (2)

Scripture: Neh.5; Neh.6; Neh. 7; Neh.1:9 & Rom. 8:14

Message:

LIVE, LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD

In the restoration of the collapse of Jerusalem, it was important for Nehemiah to have a proper plan. Once the wall was completed and the gates established, the people who were competent and had integrity had been raised for further tasks. Nehemiah was not in a hurry to take further action. He still saw an internal problem in Jerusalem that needed to be solved soon. The vast city which had only a few inhabitants, yet many had no home. Still, Nehemiah waited until God declared what to do next. So God told Nehemiah the next plan was to gather leaders, rulers, and folk to record their genealogies. Nehemiah's action was not from arrogance or pride, as the former leaders of Israel once did, for it was God who gave guidance to record the genealogy of those returning from exile.

Nehemiah is an example of a faithful leader. He carries the values ​​of the Kingdom of God. Today, if we are trusted as a leader, in our company, the ministry, or even in our home, have we applied the values ​​of the Kingdom of God? Let every decision taken by us be one that comes from God, according to His Will. Never walk outside of God's guidance, but always ask for His leading.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14 KJV)

MM

Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

[stjeromecoopercollege]

New Testament Reflection 1

New Testament Reflection 1

Matthew's Gospel opens with the genealogy of Christ. While it is tempting to skip over the list of names, the longer I look at them, more themes appear. First, the genealogy helps emphasize God's emphasis on the people of God as an interconnected family. We do not belong to ourselves, but are a part of something greater. Second, the stories attached to the names in Christ's lineage provide the reader with a mosaic of salvation history, a history that will reach its apex within Matthew's narrative. The genealogy primes the reader for the message of fulfillment that Matthew is about to communicate. The message of fulfillment comes within a framework that the genealogy assumes, an exiled people are about to be brought home.

The transition from family tree to Joseph's acceptance of Mary and Jesus dignifies adoption and emphasizes the inclusion in God's family that was alluded to by the introduction of Jesus' genealogy at the beginning of the Gospel.

The rest of the birth narrative contains a continual motif of migration. The magi travel to visit the LORD, the Holy Family flees to Egypt and then returns. As with the initial genealogy, there is subtle flavor of exile and return to the entirety of the infancy narrative. One might even choose to expand this to a cosmic level if we consider the incarnation itself as simultaneously an exile and a return whereby Christ leaves the right hand of the Father (exile) and yet comes to dwell with God's people (return).

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

List of Returned Exiles (Part 2)

41 the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;

42 the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

43 The Levites:

the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.

44 The singers:

the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.

45 The gatekeepers:

the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.

46 The temple servants:

the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephusim,

53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

54 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,

56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

57 The sons of Solomon’s servants:

the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,

58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil,

the sons of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.

60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were three hundred and ninety-two.

61 These were they who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not show their fathers’ houses nor their lineage—whether they were of Israel:

62 The sons of

Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two.

63 Of the priests:

the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.

64 These sought for their fathers’ registration in the genealogical registry, but it was not found. Therefore, they were considered as unclean and removed from the priesthood. 65 The magistrate said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there was an appointed priest with Urim and Thummim.

66 The whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides their male and female servants, which numbered seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five male and female singers. 68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five; 69 their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; the donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

70 Some of the chiefs of the fathers’ households gave to the work. The magistrate gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priests’ garments. 71 Others of the chiefs of the fathers’ households gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand gold drachmas and two thousand two hundred silver minas. 72 What the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities. — Nehemiah 7:41-73 | Modern English Version (MEV) The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. Cross References: Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Deuteronomy 33:8; 2 Kings 7:10; 1 Chronicles 4:8; 1 Chronicles 9:2; 1 Chronicles 9:12; 1 Chronicles 29:7; Ezra 2:42,43 and 44; Ezra 2:46-47; Ezra 2:51-52; Ezra 2:53-54; Ezra 2:57; Ezra 2:59; Ezra 2:66-67; Ezra 3:1; Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 11:3; Luke 12:45

[catolinewsdailyreadings]

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings of Friday, September 8, 2023

Reading 1

MI 5:1-4A

The LORD says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 13:6AB, 6C

R./ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation. R./ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me." R./ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel

MT 1,1-16.18-23

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

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

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

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

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

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

[dfroza]

A coming King

(virgin born)

who has promised to return to earth.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the starting point of the New Testament is the 1st chapter of the book of Matthew:

This is the family history, the genealogy, of Jesus the Anointed, the coming King. You will see in this history that Jesus is descended from King David, and that He is also descended from Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac was the father of Jacob; Jacob was the father of Judah and of Judah’s 11 brothers; Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (and Perez and Zerah’s mother was Tamar);

Perez was the father of Hezron; Hezron was the father of Ram; Ram was the father of Amminadab; Amminadab was the father of Nahshon; Nahshon was the father of Salmon; Salmon was the father of Boaz (and Boaz’s mother was Rahab);

Boaz was the father of Obed (his mother was Ruth, a Moabite woman who converted to the Hebrew faith); Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of David, who was the king of the nation of Israel. David was the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathsheba, and she was married to a man named Uriah);

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam; Rehoboam was the father of Abijah; Abijah was the father of Asa; Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram; Joram was the father of Uzziah; Uzziah was the father of Jotham; Jotham was the father of Ahaz; Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah; Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh; Manasseh was the father of Amon; Amon was the father of Josiah; Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, and Josiah’s family lived at the time when God’s chosen people of Israel were deported from the promised land to Babylon.

After the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah had a son, Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel; Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud; Abiud was the father of Eliakim; Eliakim was the father of Azor; Azor was the father of Zadok; Zadok was the father of Achim; Achim was the father of Eliud; Eliud was the father of Eleazar; Eleazar was the father of Matthan; Matthan was the father of Jacob; Jacob was the father of Joseph, who married a woman named Mary. It was Mary who gave birth to Jesus, and it is Jesus who is the Savior, the Anointed One.

Abraham and David were linked with 14 generations, 14 generations link David to the Babylonian exile, and 14 more take us from the exile to the birth of the Anointed.

So here, finally, is the story of the birth of Jesus the Anointed (it is quite a remarkable story):

Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, son of David. They hadn’t married. And yet, some time well before their wedding date, Mary learned that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, because he was kind and upstanding and honorable, wanted to spare Mary shame. He did not wish to cause her more embarrassment than necessary.

Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream.

Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit. She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.

Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife (though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

Years and years ago, Isaiah, a prophet of Israel, foretold the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus:

A virgin will conceive and bear a Son,

and His name will be Immanuel

(which is a Hebrew name that means “God with us”).

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 1 (The Voice)

A set of notes from The Voice translation:

This is the story of Jesus the Son of David, the Anointed One, as told by Matthew, a disciple of the Lord. Now this account has been recorded for all those children of Abraham who have become followers of the true heir of the line of David so that they may know in whom they have believed. Because of the common Jewish heritage, Jesus of Nazareth can be understood—His miraculous healings, countless teachings filled with parables, righteous life, and lineage traced back to Abraham—as the One the prophets have spoken of since the early days.

This same Jesus is the One whom the Jews have been waiting for all these years. From the time when John was ritually cleansing people through baptism in the Jordan, as a sign of rethinking their lives of sin, to the wonderfully inspired teaching on the mountain in Galilee, throughout His parables, in His horrible death, and after His marvelous resurrection just days later, Jesus Himself is the King of the kingdom of heaven whom He taught about. There is no one like Jesus. The prophets of old looked for Him, David sang of Him, and Jewish leaders feared Him. He is the great King, the Teacher of wisdom, and the Prophet that Moses said was coming into the world.

The story begins with the lineage that establishes Jesus as the true Son of David.

•

This long genealogy is given for a good reason: to show how this Jesus fulfills the prophecies that tell us the Anointed One will be a descendant of Abraham and of David.

Some of the women in Jesus’ line are given to show how God is gracious to everyone, even to prostitutes and adulterers. Because some of the women listed weren’t Israelites, but were strangers and foreigners, they foreshadow all the foreigners God will adopt into His church through Jesus. Some of the children in God’s family are conceived under strange circumstances (like Tamar’s twins being conceived as she played the harlot, and like King Solomon being born to adulterous parents). Now that it has been established this is an unusual family, what happens next shouldn’t be a surprise—the conception of a baby under very strange circumstances.

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 7th chapter of the book of Esther about the death of Haman and his evil plan:

King Ahasuerus and Haman came to dine with Queen Esther; and while they were drinking wine, the king posed his question once again.

King Ahasuerus: What is your request, Queen Esther? I’m willing to give you anything you want. Just make your request. Even if it’s half the kingdom you desire, I will make it happen!

Queen Esther: If you favor me, my king, and if it pleases you, spare my life. That’s all I’m asking for—that my people and I be spared. That is my wish. There are some, my king, who wish to rid your kingdom of us. For my people and I have been sold, marked for destruction and massacre. Now if the plan were simply to sell our men and women into slavery, I would have kept my mouth closed because that would not have been important enough to disturb you, my king.

King Ahasuerus: Who has targeted your people? Where is this man who dares to do this?

Queen Esther (pointing to Haman): The man responsible for these actions is wicked Haman. He is vile, and an enemy to my people.

In that moment, Haman’s joy turned to terror before the king and queen. Angered, the king shoved away from the table, left his wine, and walked into the palace garden. But Haman, aware that King Ahasuerus had already sealed his fate, didn’t follow behind. Instead, he pleaded with Queen Esther to spare his life. In desperation, he threw himself onto the couch where Queen Esther was sitting, just as King Ahasuerus walked back from the garden to the place where the wine and the banquet had been set.

King Ahasuerus: Haman, will you even violate my queen right here in the palace, where I can see you?

As soon as the king gave the order, the royal eunuchs covered Haman’s face. His fate had been sealed. One of those eunuchs was Harbonah.

Harbonah: Look! Haman has prepared a 75-foot pole for execution in his own courtyard. He was hoping to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who spoke up and saved the king.

King Ahasuerus: Well, hang him on it!

So they took Haman and killed him and displayed him on the pole he had made ready for Mordecai. And King Ahasuerus’ anger subsided.

The Book of Esther, Chapter 7 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, April 22 of 2023 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about the Source of (inner peace):

The walk of faith involves "kavanah" (כַּוָנָה), or focus. We must "press on" (διώκω) to hear the upward call of God (Phil. 3:14). The problem for many of us is that we are distracted by various other things; we are rendered indecisive, and therefore we hesitate to draw near to the Lord... A divided heart is at war within itself, "two-souled" (δίψυχος) and unstable in all its ways (James 1:8).

If "purity of heart is to will one thing," then impurity of heart is the result of simultaneously willing two things... It is therefore a state of inner contradiction, of having two separate "minds" or "wills" that hold contrary thoughts or desires. Yeshua said that "a divided house cannot stand." May it please God to heal us of such ambivalence by making our hearts whole, resolute, steadfast, full of conviction, and entirely awake to the glory of His Presence at our right hand (Psalm 16:8).

The LORD is always near; he is not far from each one of us. “Draw near to God (ἐγγίσατε τῷ Θεῷ) and he will draw near to you; purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). As it is written: “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). May we be set free from lesser fears that divide the heart and rob the soul of shalom shelemah, God’s perfect peace... Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Psalm 145:18 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm145-18-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm145-18-lesson.pdf

4.20.23 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

April 22, 2023

Once, Finished, Forever

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)

This verse in Hebrews 10 stands in comparative contrast to the previous verse, which says, “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (v. 11). It’s noteworthy that the Old Testament priests had to “standeth daily” as they did service in the tabernacle.

There were several reasons for this. The first was that “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Another less obvious reason was that the tabernacle of Moses and the later temple in Jerusalem didn’t have a single piece of furniture designed for sitting. In other words, there wasn’t a chair in the holy place for the priest to take a rest. There was the altar of incense, the menorah, and even a table of showbread, but no chairs. This was probably to signify that the work of the Old Testament priest was never finished.

In dramatic contrast, Christ Jesus, functioning in His office of high priest, offered His life as a single sacrifice and payment for all our sins—past, present, and future—and then “sat down” at the Father’s right hand. Jesus emphatically sat down to demonstrate that the work of redemption is indeed finished!

In God’s eyes, His people are forever perfect, spotless, and washed whiter than snow by the precious, eternal blood of His Son. Our part is to believe and receive all that has been done for us by Christ, “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:25). JPT

[royalpain16]

A Brief History of Princess Diana’s Fiery Family

HADLEY HALL MEARES

JUNE 29, 2021 4:04 PM

According to Tina Brown’s The Diana Chronicles. Indeed, the role of the aristocratic family of Diana, Princess of Wales, for centuries has been that of royal disrupter. This legacy stretches to the 14th century, with their disputed ancestor Hugh Despenser’s alleged torrid affair with King Edward II and Despenser’s eventual brutal execution. Clever, charming, and fiery, much like Diana, her ancestors learned how to play the royal game—and then ripped up the rule book.

“Nearly 300 years on, my father would talk about him with an ashamed, resigned chuckle,” Charles, Earl Spencer, writes in The Spencers: A Personal History of an English Family of the mercurial family blackguard Robert Spencer (1641-1702). While the second earl would secure the Spencers’ status as political power players for centuries, he was also “cunning, supple [and] shameless” with “a restless and mischievous temper, a cold heart, and an abject spirt.”

Sunderland’s ascendancy began in the 1670s when he orchestrated King Charles II’s secret pact with England’s traditional enemy, France. Securing large payments from the French king and court for Charles II and himself, Sunderland was rewarded when he was appointed secretary of state.

After double-crossing Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, Sunderland cleverly insinuated himself with new King James II. He converted to Catholicism to appeal to the very Catholic king, and became one of James II’s closest advisers. But the king, though he valued the brilliant man’s diplomatic skills, was fully aware of Sunderland’s duplicity.

James II finally dismissed Sunderland from service in 1688, and he was later exiled. But in December of that year, James II was deposed by the Glorious Revolution, bringing his daughter Mary and her husband, William, Prince of Orange, (with whom Sunderland had conspired) to the throne.

Again in favor, he was rewarded with the post of Lord Chamberlain before retiring from public life in 1697. “Too much cannot be said of his talents,” one historian noted. “Nor too little of his principles.”

The Boss: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

The daughter of Parliamentarian Richard Jennings and his scandalous wife, Frances, the passionate, brilliant Sarah (1660-1744) started out as a maid of honor in the court of James II. She became the most powerful woman in England, through her magnetic control of the future Queen Anne, a comparative dullard who worshipped her and perhaps became her lover. (You may remember their relationship from the 2018 movie The Favourite, in which Rachel Weisz played Sarah.)

For Sarah, her friendship with Anne was a way to advance her family and her liberal Whig politics, which she shared with her equally powerful husband, the military hero the Duke of Marlborough. “I hated tyranny by nature,” she wrote in one version of her memoir, according to Ophelia Field’s The Favourite: The Life of Sarah Churchill. “I thought mankind was born free, & if Princes were ordained to make their subjects happy; so I had always in me an invincible aversion to slavery, & to flattery.”

In 1700, Sarah arranged the marriage of her distant relation Charles Spencer, the future Third Earl of Sunderland, with her favorite daughter, Anne. Over the next 44 years, she would shape the family fortunes—and gift them with their famed auburn-tinted locks.

According to The Favourite: The Life of Sarah Churchill, with Anne’s accession to the throne in 1702 Sarah reached the peak of her power, racking up virtually every important post in Queen Anne’s suite, dictating cabinet appointments, and encouraging the ire of satirists.

But cracks would soon begin to appear. Queen Anne was naturally inclined to support the royalist Tories and was encouraged in these leanings by a new favorite named Abigail. A vindictive Sarah became a master propagandist, leaking insinuations about their relationship to the press, and allegedly threatening to blackmail Anne over the contents of their highly charged correspondence.

Sarah was finally forced to vacate her royal apartments in 1711, but she was not down for the count. A brilliant businesswoman, she became the richest woman in England, according to Field, controlling her Spencer grandchildren with promises of money and power. Centuries before the modern Diana and Prince Charles wed, Sarah even attempted to marry her favorite granddaughter—Lady Diana Spencer—to the broke Frederick, Prince of Wales, with a promise of 100,000-pound dowry. The plan fell through.

But not all her grandchildren were willing to be manipulated by their formidable matriarch. Sarah claimed her equally tough granddaughter Anne “[deserved] to be burnt,” and she disinherited her grandson Charles, Fifth Earl of Sunderland, which prompted him to write her:

As for putting me out of your will…I neither expected or desired to be in it. I…assure Your Grace that this is the last time I shall ever trouble you by letter or conversation. I am Your Grace’s grandson, Sunderland.

Sarah’s letter back was brutal. “You end that you are my grandson. Which is indeed a very melancholy truth…had you not been my grandson, you would have been in as bad a condition as you deserve to be.” Fitting words from a woman immortalized by Alexander Pope thusly:

Sixty years the World has been her Trade, The wisest Fool much Time has ever made. From loveless youth to unrespected age, No Passion gratify’d except her Rage.

The Star: Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

From the start there was something special about Georgiana (1757-1806), the coddled daughter of John, First Earl Spencer and his wife, Margaret. The captivating teenager married the sophisticated William, Duke of Devonshire, in 1774, and quickly became a sensation in London’s highest circles. “[The Duchess of Devonshire] effaces all,” Horace Walpole wrote, according to The Devonshires: The Story of a Family and a Nation. “Her youth, figure, flowing good nature, sense…and modest familiarity, make her a phenomenon.”

Georgiana soon found her cold, older husband was not nearly as interested in her as everyone else. Luckily, she had many talents with which to amuse herself. She set fashions of the day, developed her own haughty way of speaking, known as the “Cavendish drawl,” and became dear friends with Marie Antoinette, according to Amanda Foreman’s The Duchess. She was also a successful novelist, and an amateur scientist.

But it was Georgiana’s brilliance as a Whig operative that would turn her into a target of the press. Constantly brainstorming with her friend, George, Prince of Wales, and political soulmate Charles James Fox, she hosted countless summits at her home. Georgiana was, she later wrote, “in the midst of the action,” seeing

“partys rise and fall—friends be united and disunited—the ties of love give way to caprice, to interest, and to vanity…”

Georgiana also worked essentially as a campaign manager for Whig candidates. During the 1784 election she bravely canvassed the street for Fox, charming Londoners with her common touch. “During her canvass,” Walpole wrote, “the Duchess made no scruple of visiting some of the humblest of electors, dazzling and enchanting them by the fascination of her manner, the power of her beauty and the influence of her high rank.”

According to Foreman’s The Duchess, there were rumors Georgiana kissed men in exchange for votes, leading to scurrilous cartoons distributed by the Tory opposition. “You have almost unavoidably amassed a great deal of useless trash—gathered weeds instead of flowers,” Lady Spencer wrote Georgiana. “You live so constantly in public you cannot live for your own soul.”

Her mother was worried about more than bad press. The hard-partying Georgiana was one of a long line of Spencer gambling addicts. She also had a laudanum dependency, and a scandalous ménage à trois arrangement with her husband and the disreputable Bess Foster. Calamity struck in 1792, when Georgiana became pregnant by the future Prime Minister Charles Grey and was banished from the country for a while.

Georgiana returned to her husband and children two years later. For the remainder of her life she battled ill health, but continued her role as a political operative, aware of what she could have been. “Would I were a man,” she mused to Sir Philip Francis. “To unite my talents, my hopes, my fortune, with [Charles James Fox’s], to make common cause, and fall or rule.”

From the start, the Spencer legacy laid heavily on John Spencer’s (1924-1992)

shoulders. As a child he was constantly cowed by his genealogically obsessed, brutal father, who considered him an intellectual lightweight. “He used to dread the train journey home [from boarding school],” his son, Diana’s brother Charles, writes. “He would hide in shadows of the train carriage, hoping his father had forgotten to collect him.”

But by the 1940s, John’s heroism as a captain in the Royal Scots Greys during World War II, and his tall, good looks and simple charm made him a most eligible bachelor. According to the documentary When the Spencers Met the Monarchy, he was even once looked at by the palace as a suitor to the future Queen Elizabeth II.

Instead, in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II (whom he served as an equerry) attended his wedding to heiress Frances Roche at Westminster Abbey. The couple had four children—Sarah, Jane, Diana, and Charles (another son, John, died shortly after birth). They were a mismatched pair, he rather dull and she vivacious, but John was reportedly blindsided when he discovered Frances was cheating on him. “How many of those years were happy?” he later said of his marriage. “I thought all of them until the moment that we parted.”

After the dissolution of his marriage, John became Diana and Charles’s primary caregiver and developed what Lord Glenconner once termed “an unfortunate raw sausage look.” Although he was stiff and old-fashioned, he attempted to be an involved father, and Diana was determined to be his “comforting angel,” according to The Diana Chronicles.

In 1975, John’s fortunes turned when his curmudgeonly father died, making him the Eighth Earl Spencer. According to Andrew Morton, he also inherited a 2.25-million-pound bill for death duties as well as 80,000-pounds-a-year running costs for Althorp, the family estate in Northamptonshire. He also found a helpmate to run Althorp in the fascinating Raine, Countess of Dartmouth, whom he married in 1976 without even telling his children. “We weren’t invited. ‘Not grand enough,’” his daughter Sarah quipped to a reporter at the time.

Despite the flippant tone, John’s betrayal would cause a deep rift in the family. A severe stroke in 1978 caused him to become frail and even more distant from his children. “He was one person before and he was certainly a different person after,” Princess Diana said, according to Morton. “He’s remained estranged but adoring since. If he comes and sees me he comes and sees me, if he doesn’t he doesn’t. It’s not my problem anymore. It’s his.”

The Rebel: Frances Shand Kydd

Frances Ruth Roche (1936-2004) wasn’t from as noble stock as the Spencers, but her family was far richer. Her father Maurice, fourth Baron Fermoy, was a conservative politician and a “terrible bottom pincher,” Lady Glenconner says in The Diana Chronicles, while her wealthy mother, Ruth, was a scheming, incurable snob and great friend of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

It was Ruth who encouraged a teenage Frances to marry the much older John Spencer, despite her tender age. “When you meet someone at the age of 15 and get engaged just five months out of school at 17, you can look back and ask, ‘Was I adult?’” she asked years later. “I sure thought I was at the time.”

The couple cultivated a farm at her family home of Park House in Norfolk, but Frances was quickly disillusioned with life in the country as a young aristocratic mother. “I’m so bloody bored with opening village fetes,” she told a friend. It was no wonder that the fiery Frances wanted more. “She was very attractive and blonde and sexy with such joie de vivre and fun about her,” a friend told Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles.

By the 1960s, Frances escaped to London more and more. She also started having an affair with a married bon vivant named Peter Shand Kydd. In 1967, she separated from John and left her two youngest children with him. “The biggest disruption was when Mummy decided to leg it. That’s the vivid memory we have—the four of us,” Princess Diana later told Andrew Morton.

Frances fought for custody of the children but lost to John, partially due to her own mother, Baroness Fermoy, who testified against her. Social outcasts, the Shand Kydds eventually moved to the coast of Scotland, and their warm household was a refuge for her children when they were allowed to visit. “Diana and I adored it for its wild beauty and the fun we had on the sea, lobster potting and mackerel-fishing,” Charles Spencer recalls.

Frances counseled against her youngest daughter’s marriage to Prince Charles, seeing too many parallels to her own first marriage—including her mother’s encouragement of the match. According to Brown, after voicing her concerns, Diana said, “Mummy, you don’t understand. I love him.” Frances replied, “Love him, or love what he is?” To which Diana asked rhetorically, “What’s the difference?”

The Grande Dames: Barbara Cartland and Raine Spencer

Perhaps no writer influenced generations of British romantics—including Princess Diana—more than Barbara Cartland (1901-2000). The author of 723 books, Cartland had, in the words of Brown, a “penchant for pink, her meringue coiffure and false eyelashes,” which betrayed a steely, snobbish character that was tough as nails.

Cartland would pass both her strength and outrageousness on to her daughter Raine (1929-2016), whom she raised to be, in Brown’s words, a “social monster baby.” Not only did she nab Gerald Legge, Ninth Earl of Dartmouth, but she also forged a career as a conservative politician, becoming the youngest person to ever serve on the Westminster City Council.

“She never took any prisoners, and never took no for an answer,” a friend recalled.

In the early 1970s, Raine set her sights on the divorced John Spencer. “She wanted to marry Daddy; that was her target and that was it,” Princess Diana recalled. According to sources, “Acid Raine” alienated the children and old friends. She also took the reins of Althorp, allegedly selling off family treasures and decorating it in her and her mother’s garish style.

During the lead-up to Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, what to do with the clownish Cartlands became a national conversation. According to Brown:

Alexander Chancellor, the editor of The Spectator, wrote an editorial in which he called for a special Act of Parliament to ban Raine and her mother from St. Paul’s Cathedral, adding, “For it would be more than a little unfair on everybody if these two absurdly theatrical ladies were permitted to turn a moving national celebration into a pantomime.” Diana was so afraid the pantomime might indeed take place, she pressed for stratagems to blackball Cartland.

In the end Raine was invited but her mother was not. This would not be the most awkward Spencer wedding—that prize would go to Charles Spencer’s first wedding in 1989, where Diana scolded Raine for her rudeness to their mother. “If only you knew how much we all hated you for what you’ve done, you’ve ruined the house, you spend Daddy’s money and what for?” she hissed.

For her part, Raine would tire of being the scapegoat for the Spencer dysfunction. “I’m absolutely sick of the ‘wicked stepmother’ lark,” she said, according to Kitty Kelley. “You’re never going to make me sound like a human being, because people like to think I’m Dracula’s mother.”

Surprisingly, Diana would come to agree. Toward the end of her life, she grew close to her stepmother, whose no-nonsense advice she came to admire. However, it appears there was no love lost between Diana and her former favorite writer, who would quip of the royal breakup, “Of course, you know where it all went wrong. She wouldn’t do oral sex.”

The Role Model: Lady Sarah McCorquodale

Born in 1955, Sarah Spencer was the oldest, and wildest of John and Frances Spencer’s brood. Reckless and salty from an early age, Brown writes that she was kicked out of boarding school and rode her horse into her grandmother’s living room. “Sarah always had to be the best at everything,” a friend recalled. “The best car, the wittiest put-down, and the best dress.”

She also had a constant shadow in her youngest sister, Diana. “I idolized my eldest sister and I used to do all her washing when she came back from school. I packed her suitcase, ran her bath, made her bed—the whole lot. I did it all and I thought it was wonderful,” Diana told Morton.

In 1977, Sarah, who had suffered from anorexia, according to Brown, met Prince Charles at Ascot. The two began dating, and it was Sarah who introduced Diana to the prince during a shooting party at Althorp (“I’m cupid,” she’d later quip). “I remember,” Diana later said, “feeling desperately sorry for him that my sister was wrapped around his neck because she’s quite a tough old thing.”

But Sarah’s romance with the prince would soon end. She made the mistake of talking to reporters. Not only did she reportedly confess to having “thousands of boyfriends,” she also disparaged Charles as a hopeless romantic. “I wouldn’t marry a man I didn’t love, whether it was a dustman or the King of England,” she said. “If he asked me I would turn him down.”

This cardinal sin would cause Sarah to be promptly frozen out, with Charles reportedly informing her, “You’ve just done something extremely stupid.” And so, only three years later Charles would begin to court the blossoming Diana. Perhaps there was a hint of jealousy in her alleged counsel to a despondent Diana to not pull out of the wedding over his relationship with Camilla: “Bad luck, ‘Duch. Your face is on the tea towels so you’re too late to chicken out.”

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

8th September >> Mass Readings (USA)

Feast of The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

Either:

First Reading

Micah 5:1-4a

The time when she who is to give birth has borne.

The LORD says:

You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,    too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me    one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old,    from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time    when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return    to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock    by the strength of the LORD,    in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness    shall reach to the ends of the earth;    he shall be peace.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading

Romans 8:28-30

For those he foreknew he also predestined.

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 13:6ab, 6c

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Though I trusted in your mercy,    let my heart rejoice in your salvation.

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”

R/ With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Either:

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,    and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-23

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

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

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,    and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[randomnameless]

Genealogy of the Ionius line?

If you insist.

Great Emperor Wilhelm named several of his bastards Ionius, but since none were conceived after he received Seiros's blessing, they were forgotten to History.

Lycaon II had three sons, Otto I, Ionius I and Karl the Fearful.

Otto succeeded his Father, but had an accident with a horse, as a result, his brother Ionius I took up the throne.

Weary of his children asking him when he was going to retire, and his lack of martial performances passed the early age of 26, Ionius I thought he needed to become immortal, like his glorious ancestor before him, Saint Seiros.

The Archbishop of that time told him it was impossible, and he knows he doesn't really descend from Seiros, he pissed on her advice and took a flask of mercury, given by a happy fellow named Pittacus.

Ionius II succeeded his Father, even if there had been some rumours about Ionius I's sudden death.

Ionius II governed fairly, and even gave 5 gold pieces to those gladiators from the North who could manage to kill 20 giant beasts in a row, instead of merely giving them peanuts.

Little does he know, one of those gladiators was actually Loog, which is why Ionius II is often called Ionius the Simple.

After the incident with Loog, Ionius III took the throne after his Aunt Mathilde was beheaded for High Treason, apparently she was Loog's 25th once removed cousin.

He had been tasked with consolidating the Empire, and did a relative unremarkable job.

Ionius IV nearly started a diplomatic incident when he openly pissed in Garreg Mach's gardens - refusing to share latrines with a man of dubious repute, a certain Jeralt. It took the combined efforts of Friedrich von Varley and Paul von Bergliez to convince the Archbishop of that time not to throw the Emperor away. A few bawdy songs - all Ferghian, for some reason - refers to this issue as "pissing like an Adrestian".

Hopefully, his grandson, Ionius V patroned a lot for the Monastery, and commanded a lot of art. He also signed a non agression treaty with Brigid and Dagda, and seemed to really get along with the current King of Faerghus and the Archbishop of that time.

Sadly, "Ionius the Great" was found dead, beheaded at the behest of his legitimate heir, who thought drinking his blood would make him immortal.

Ionius VI "borrowed" a lot of food to the Southern Church, claiming they didn't need any since he was the true messenger of the Goddess on Fodlan, due to his ascendance to Saint Seiros herself. Drunk, he also "accidentally" set to fire Enbarr's great Library - at this point, the Southern Church aided a pretender to get his throne, but both died when a mysterious fellow named Chilon offered them both "fruit juice".

Ionius VII was the first Emperor appointed after the exile of the Southern Church. He resumed the campaigns against the Dagdans and subjugated Brigid. It was said he always had a perpetual sneer whenever he visited Faerghus, but unlike his predecessors, he went there instead of burning the missives in his chimney. He arranged for the union of his youngest daughter to King Hugo II's son, but a barbarian from Sreng killed the son. For some reason, Ionius VII's daughter prefered to stay in Faerghus, so he let do as she wanted, not before disinheriting her.

Apparently he grew worried about the Empire's military might in his old days, and thought he could find a Hero's relic matching the crest of Seiros in Garreg Mach, or so the legend says.

After his return from an expedition (a dissident Vestra follower would later have shared the Archbishop kicked him out of Garreg Mach herself) he started to write something super important, to be only shared by Emperors to their successors, and passed away after having ordered to bury Great Emperor Wilhelm body in a common tomb.

This order wasn't executed, everyone thought the fevers got the best of him when he called his glorious ancestor "a miserable piece of slime thinking with his loins".

Ionius VIII was the one who tried to weed out the Hresvelg bloodline.

Bribing Count Gloucester, he managed to harass Albinea enough that they granted him exclusive rights over Albinean herrings. Ionius didn't give a fuck, but if it made him earn more money to prepare his great plans, he didn't mind.

Kevin V of Faerghus made fun of him, saying the Adrestian Emperor was selling fish like a common fishmonger, but Kevin V died after drinking "black water" so no one really cared about his slender, given how he died stupidly.

In his last days, when the Archbishop of that time had been invited to celebrate the 1050th anniversary of the Empire, he had too much "Boramas's finest liquor" and started to say outrageous things, like how he had no scales and it proved that woman - the Archbishop of that time - lied because she is not his mother.

Mortified, Yvon von Aegir, Ferdie's grandad, put him to bed, apologising for his behaviour, and really really wondered if Adrestia was doomed to serve the Hresvelgs or if they could do better.

Ionius VIII passed away surrounded by his sons, telling his oldest how he should rule not only over Adrestia, but also over the world, because he is a human and doesn't have scales, unlike that "vixen" in Garreg Mach, who made fun of their ancestor.

The future Ionius IX did not realise, but his new astronomer, a great sage called Odesse, was hidden behind the curtains, laughing.