The Word for today: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45 KJV
To finish the Bible in one year, Read Psalms 97 to 102 and John 3 : 22-36.
Old Testament Reading for today – Listen or read it for yourself:
Reflection for Today.
Also read the verses, if you like.
Psalm 97
1 Yahweh is king! Let earth rejoice, the many isles be glad!
2 Cloud, black cloud enfolds him, saving justice and judgement the foundations of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him, sets ablaze his enemies all around;
4 his lightning-flashes light up the world, the earth sees it and quakes.
5 The mountains melt like wax, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his saving justice, all nations see his glory.
7 Shame on all who serve images, who pride themselves on their idols; bow down to him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad, the daughters of Judah exult, because of your judgements, Yahweh.
9 For you are Yahweh, Most High over all the earth, far transcending all gods.
10 Yahweh loves those who hate evil, he keeps safe his faithful, rescues them from the clutches of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the upright, and joy for honest hearts.
12 Rejoice in Yahweh, you who are upright, praise his unforgettable holiness.
Psalm 98
1 [Psalm] Sing a new song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm.
2 Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,
3 mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.
4 Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, burst into shouts of joy!
5 Play to Yahweh on the harp, to the sound of instruments;
6 to the sound of trumpet and horn, acclaim the presence of the King.
7 Let the sea thunder, and all that it holds, the world and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, and the mountains shout for joy together,
9 at Yahweh’s approach, for he is coming to judge the earth; he will judge the world with saving justice and the nations with fairness.
Psalm 99
1 Yahweh is king, the peoples tremble; he is enthroned on the winged creatures, the earth shivers;
2 Yahweh is great in Zion. He is supreme over all nations;
3 let them praise your name, great and awesome; holy is he
4 and mighty! You are a king who loves justice, you established honesty, justice and uprightness; in Jacob it is you who are active.
5 Exalt Yahweh our God, bow down at his footstool; holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron are among his priests, and Samuel, calling on his name; they called on Yahweh and he answered them.
7 He spoke with them in the pillar of fire, they obeyed his decrees, the Law he gave them.
8 Yahweh our God, you answered them, you were a God of forgiveness to them, but punished them for their sins.
9 Exalt Yahweh our God, bow down at his holy mountain; holy is Yahweh our God!
Psalm 100
1 [Psalm For thanksgiving] Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
2 serve Yahweh with gladness, come into his presence with songs of joy!
3 Be sure that Yahweh is God, he made us, we belong to him, his people, the flock of his sheepfold.
4 Come within his gates giving thanks, to his courts singing praise, give thanks to him and bless his name!
5 For Yahweh is good, his faithful love is everlasting, his constancy from age to age.
Psalm 101
1 [Of David Psalm] I will sing of faithful love and judgement; to you, Yahweh, will I make music.
2 I will go forward in the path of the blameless; when will you come to me? I will live in purity of heart, in my house,
3 I will not set before my eyes anything sordid. I hate those who act crookedly; this has no attraction for me.
4 Let the perverse of heart keep away from me; the wicked I disregard.
5 One who secretly slanders a comrade, I reduce to silence; haughty looks, proud heart, these I cannot abide.
6 I look to the faithful of the land to be my companions, only he who walks in the path of the blameless shall be my servant.
7 There is no room in my house for anyone who practises deceit; no liar will stand his ground where I can see him.
8 Morning after morning I reduce to silence all the wicked in the land, banishing from the city of Yahweh all evil-doers.
Psalm 102
1 [Prayer of someone afflicted, who in misfortune pours out sorrows before Yahweh] Yahweh, hear my prayer, let my cry for help reach you.
2 Do not turn away your face from me when I am in trouble; bend down and listen to me, when I call, be quick to answer me!
3 For my days are vanishing like smoke, my bones burning like an oven;
4 like grass struck by blight, my heart is withering, I forget to eat my meals.
5 From the effort of voicing my groans my bones stick out through my skin.
6 I am like a desert-owl in the wastes, a screech-owl among ruins,
7 I keep vigil and moan like a lone bird on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me, those who once praised me now use me as a curse.
9 Ashes are the food that I eat, my drink is mingled with tears,
10 because of your fury and anger, since you have raised me up only to cast me away;
11 my days are like a fading shadow, I am withering up like grass.
12 But you, Yahweh, are enthroned for ever, each generation in turn remembers you.
13 Rise up, take pity on Zion! the time has come to have mercy on her, the moment has come;
14 for your servants love her very stones, are moved to pity by her dust.
15 Then will the nations revere the name of Yahweh, and all the kings of the earth your glory;
16 when Yahweh builds Zion anew, he will be seen in his glory;
17 he will turn to hear the prayer of the destitute, and will not treat their prayer with scorn.
18 This shall be put on record for a future generation, and a people yet to be born shall praise God:
19 Yahweh has leaned down from the heights of his sanctuary, has looked down from heaven to earth,
20 to listen to the sighing of the captive, and set free those condemned to death,
21 to proclaim the name of Yahweh in Zion, his praise in Jerusalem;
22 nations will gather together, and kingdoms to worship Yahweh.
23 In my journeying my strength has failed on the way;
24 let me know the short time I have left. Do not take me away before half my days are done, for your years run on from age to age.
25 Long ago you laid earth’s foundations, the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They pass away but you remain; they all wear out like a garment, like outworn clothes you change them;
27 but you never alter, and your years never end.
28 The children of those who serve you will dwell secure, and their descendants live on in your presence.
John 3 : 22-36
22 After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised.
23 John also was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there and were being baptised.
24 For John had not yet been put in prison.
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew about purification,
26 so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now, and everyone is going to him.’
27 John replied: ‘No one can have anything except what is given him from heaven.
28 ‘You yourselves can bear me out. I said, “I am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him.”
29 ‘It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom’s voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete.
30 He must grow greater, I must grow less.
31 He who comes from above is above all others; he who is of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven
32 bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, but his testimony is not accepted by anybody;
33 though anyone who does accept his testimony is attesting that God is true,
34 since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words, for God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
35 The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to his hands.
36 Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: God’s retribution hangs over him.’
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
4 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying:
5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.’
6 I then said, ‘Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!’
7 But Yahweh replied, ‘Do not say, “I am only a child,” for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of confronting them, for I am with you to rescue you, Yahweh declares.’
9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: ‘There! I have put my words into your mouth.
10 Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17
1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge, I shall never be put to shame.
2 In your saving justice rescue me, deliver me, listen to me and save me.
3 Be a sheltering rock for me, always accessible; you have determined to save me, for you are my rock, my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the clutches of the wicked, from the grasp of the rogue and the ruthless.
5 For you are my hope, Lord, my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.
6 On you I have relied since my birth, since my mother’s womb you have been my portion, the constant theme of my praise.
15 My lips shall proclaim your saving justice, your saving power all day long.
17 God, you have taught me from boyhood, and I am still proclaiming your marvels.
Gospel, Matthew 13:1-9
1 That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside,
2 but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore,
3 and he told them many things in parables. He said, ‘Listen, a sower went out to sow.
4 As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth;
6 but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.
7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 Anyone who has ears should listen!’
Book of Psalms, Outline Summary, Outline Book of John (we are studying these books presently)
Audio Drama: Old Testament New Testament Each book is read in its entirety. You can listen to the bible, one book at a time in contemporary English.
Dr. Myles Munroe
I am including a video by Dr. Myles Munroe, I’ve listened to him back in the nineties, and rediscovered him recently. Now his perspective seems to be a good way to also look at scripture. In Pursuit of Purpose – Book Highlights
Sermons Rosary Prayers Catholic Answers
Did Mary have other children? No, Listen here
Called to Communion
Pray the Rosary
Rosary Mysteries
The following 4 videos are the 4 Mysteries that we pray on certain days of the week. I like these videos, because I can pray it alone, with only the images, or go along with the sound. The images help me to focus on the particular mystery that I am contemplating as I say the Hail Mary on each bead.
Joyful Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Prayers of the Rosary
Links to “How to pray the rosary” Popular Catholic Prayers
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried,
He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
(this prayer is optional and may be said after all Glory Be to the Fathers…..)
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.
Console the souls in Purgatory, particularly those most abandoned. Amen
Hail Mary,
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The Hail, Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
That we maybe made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Closing Prayer
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation.
Grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(The Fatima Prayer:)
Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – I adore thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference’s whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Prayer to St. Michael
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do you, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Thurzo Gizella Bible Study 
Leave a comment