Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV The Word for Today.
A quote from the Saints:
St. Alphonsus Liguori
It is almost certain that excess eating is the cause of almost all diseases of the body but it’s effects on the soul are even more disastrous.
A Christian’s goal should be to create the Kingdom of God here on earth, as it is in Heaven. Not only, to get to Heaven.
To finish the Bible in one year, Read Proverbs 9-12 and John 8 : 12-30.
Verses for today – Listen here:
Reflection for Today.
Also read the verses, if you like.
Proverbs 9
1 Wisdom has built herself a house, she has hewn her seven pillars,
2 she has slaughtered her beasts, drawn her wine, she has laid her table.
3 She has despatched her maidservants and proclaimed from the heights above the city,
4 ‘Who is simple? Let him come this way.’ To the fool she says,
5 ‘Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have drawn!
6 Leave foolishness behind and you will live, go forwards in the ways of perception.’
7 Reprove a mocker and you attract contempt, rebuke the wicked and you attract dishonour.
8 Do not rebuke the mocker, he will hate you. Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it.
9 Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more.
10 The first principle of wisdom is the fear of Yahweh, What God’s holy ones know — this is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and your years of life increased.
12 Are you wise? You are wise to your own good. A mocker? The burden is yours alone.
13 A silly woman acts on impulse, is foolish and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a throne high up in the city,
15 calling to the passers-by, who are walking straight past on their way,
16 ‘Who is simple? Turn aside, come over here.’ To the fool she says,
17 ‘Stolen waters are sweet, and bread tastes better when eaten in secret.’
18 But the fool does not know that this is where the Shades are and that her guests are already in the vales of Sheol.
Proverbs 10
1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise child is a father’s joy, a foolish child a mother’s grief.
2 Treasures wickedly come by give no benefit, but uprightness brings delivery from death.
3 Yahweh does not let the upright go hungry, but he thwarts the greed of the wicked.
4 A slack hand brings poverty, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
5 Reaping at harvest-time is the mark of the prudent, sleeping at harvest-time is the sign of the worthless.
6 Blessings are on the head of the upright, but the mouth of the godless is a cover for violence.
7 The upright is remembered with blessings, the name of the wicked rots away.
8 The wise of heart takes orders, but a gabbling fool heads for ruin.
9 Anyone whose ways are honourable walks secure, but whoever follows crooked ways is soon unmasked.
10 A wink of the eye brings trouble, a bold rebuke brings peace.
11 The mouth of the upright is a life-giving fountain, but the mouth of the godless is a cover for violence.
12 Hatred provokes disputes, but love excuses all offences.
13 On the lips of the discerning is found wisdom, on the back of a fool, the stick.
14 Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool makes ruin imminent.
15 The wealth of the rich is their stronghold, poverty is the undoing of the weak.
16 The wage of the upright affords life, but sin is all the wicked earns.
17 Whoever abides by discipline, walks towards life, whoever ignores correction goes astray.
18 Liars’ lips are a cover for hatred, whoever utters slander is a fool.
19 A flood of words is never without fault; whoever controls the lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the upright is purest silver, the heart of the wicked is of trumpery value.
21 The lips of the upright nourish many peoples, but fools die for want of sense.
22 The blessing of Yahweh is what brings riches, to this, hard toil has nothing to add.
23 A fool takes pleasure in doing wrong, the intelligent in cultivating wisdom.
24 What the wicked fears overtakes him, what the upright desires comes to him as a present.
25 When the storm is over, the wicked is no more, but the upright stands firm for ever.
26 As vinegar to the teeth, smoke to the eyes, so the sluggard to the one who sends him.
27 The fear of Yahweh adds length to life, the years of the wicked will be cut short.
28 The hope of the upright is joy, the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29 The way of Yahweh is a rampart for the honest, for evil-doers nothing but ruin.
30 The upright will never have to give way, but the land will offer no home for the wicked.
31 The mouth of the upright utters wisdom, the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32 The lips of the upright know about kindness, the mouth of the wicked about deceit.
Proverbs 11
1 A false balance is abhorrent to Yahweh, a just weight is pleasing to him.
2 Pride comes first; disgrace soon follows; with the humble is wisdom found.
3 The honest have their own honesty for guidance, the treacherous are ruined by their own perfidy.
4 In the day of retribution riches will be useless, but uprightness delivers from death.
5 The uprightness of the good makes their way straight, the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
6 Their uprightness sets the honest free, the treacherous are imprisoned by their own desires.
7 The hope of the wicked perishes with death, hope placed in riches comes to nothing.
8 The upright escapes affliction, the wicked incurs it instead.
9 Through his mouth the godless is the ruin of his neighbour, but by knowledge the upright are safeguarded.
10 When the upright prosper the city rejoices, when the wicked are ruined there is a shout of joy.
11 A city is raised on the blessing of the honest, and demolished by the mouth of the wicked.
12 Whoever looks down on a neighbour lacks good sense; the intelligent keeps a check on the tongue.
13 A tittle-tattler lets secrets out, the trustworthy keeps things hidden.
14 For want of leadership a people perishes, safety lies in many advisers.
15 Whoever goes bail for a stranger does himself harm, but one who shuns going surety is safe.
16 A gracious woman acquires honour, violent people acquire wealth.
17 Faithful love brings its own reward, the inflexible injure their own selves.
18 Disappointment crowns the labours of the wicked, whoever sows uprightness reaps a solid reward.
19 Whoever establishes uprightness is on the way to life, whoever pursues evil, on the way to death.
20 Tortuous hearts are abhorrent to Yahweh, dear to him, those whose ways are blameless.
21 Be sure of it, the wicked will not go unpunished, but the race of the upright will come to no harm.
22 A golden ring in the snout of a pig is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
23 The hope of the upright is nothing but good, the expectation of the wicked is retribution.
24 One scatters money around, yet only adds to his wealth, another is excessively mean, but only grows the poorer.
25 The soul who blesses will prosper, whoever satisfies others will also be satisfied.
26 The people’s curse is on those who hoard the wheat, their blessing on the head of those who sell it.
27 Whoever strives for good obtains favour, whoever looks for evil will get an evil return.
28 Whoever trusts in riches will have a fall, the upright will flourish like the leaves.
29 Whoever misgoverns a house inherits the wind, and the fool becomes slave to the wise.
30 The fruit of the upright is a tree of life: the sage captivates souls.
31 If here on earth the upright gets due reward, how much more the wicked and the sinner!
Proverbs 12
1 Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, stupid are those who hate correction.
2 The honest obtains Yahweh’s favour, the schemer incurs his condemnation.
3 No one is made secure by wickedness, but nothing shakes the roots of the upright.
4 A capable wife, her husband’s crown, a shameless wife, a cancer in his bones.
5 The plans of the upright are honest, the intrigues of the wicked are full of deceit.
6 The words of the wicked are snares to shed blood, what the honest say keeps them safe.
7 Once thrown down, the wicked are no more, but the house of the upright stands firm.
8 Prudence wins praise, but a tortuous heart incurs only contempt.
9 Better a common fellow who has a slave than someone who gives himself airs and has nothing to eat.
10 The upright has compassion on his animals, but the heart of the wicked is ruthless.
11 Whoever works his land shall have bread and to spare, but no one who chases fantasies has any sense.
12 The godless delights in the snare of the wicked, but the root of the upright bears fruit.
13 In the sin of the lips lies a disastrous trap, but the upright finds a way out of misfortune.
14 Abundance of good things is the fruit of the lips; labour brings its own return.
15 Fools think the way they go is straight, the wise listens to advice.
16 The fool shows anger straightaway, the discreet conceals dislike.
17 To tell the truth is to further justice, a false witness is nothing but deceit.
18 Thoughtless words can wound like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Sincere lips endure for ever, the lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of the schemer, joy with those who give counsels of peace.
21 No harm can come to the upright, but the wicked are swamped by misfortunes.
22 Lying lips are abhorrent to Yahweh; dear to him those who make truth their way of life.
23 The discreet keeps knowledge hidden, the heart of fools proclaims their folly.
24 For the diligent hand, authority; for the slack hand, forced labour.
25 Worry makes a heart heavy, a kindly word makes it glad.
26 The upright shows the way to a friend; the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The idle has no game to roast; diligence is anyone’s most precious possession.
28 In the way of uprightness is life, the ways of the vengeful lead to death.
John 8 : 12-30
12 When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.
13 At this the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not true.’
14 Jesus replied: Even though I am testifying on my own behalf, my testimony is still true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one,
16 but if I judge, my judgement will be true, because I am not alone: the one who sent me is with me;
17 and in your Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.
18 I testify on my own behalf, but the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf, too.
19 They asked him, ‘Where is your Father then?’ Jesus answered: You do not know me, nor do you know my Father; if you did know me, you would know my Father as well.
20 He spoke these words in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
21 Again he said to them: I am going away; you will look for me and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.
22 So the Jews said to one another, ‘Is he going to kill himself, that he says, “Where I am going, you cannot come?” ‘
23 Jesus went on: You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I have told you already: You will die in your sins. Yes, if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
25 So they said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus answered: What I have told you from the outset.
26 About you I have much to say and much to judge; but the one who sent me is true, and what I declare to the world I have learnt from him.
27 They did not recognise that he was talking to them about the Father.
28 So Jesus said: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own accord. What I say is what the Father has taught me;
29 he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I always do what pleases him.
30 As he was saying this, many came to believe in him.
Sermons by various teachers regarding the verses above.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Jeremiah 28:1-17
1 That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of Yahweh in the presence of the priests and of all the people,
2 ‘Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
3 In exactly two years’ time I shall bring back all the vessels of the Temple of Yahweh which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from here and carried off to Babylon.
4 And I shall also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon, Yahweh declares, for I shall break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” ‘
5 The prophet Jeremiah then replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people present in the Temple of Yahweh.
6 ‘So be it!’ the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘May Yahweh do so! May he fulfil the words that you have prophesied and bring all the vessels of the Temple of Yahweh and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.
7 Listen carefully, however, to this word that I am now going to say for you and all the people to hear:
8 From remote times, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied war, disaster and plague for many countries and for great kingdoms;
9 the prophet who prophesies peace can be recognised as one truly sent by Yahweh only when his word comes true.’
10 The prophet Hananiah then snatched the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it.
11 In front of all the people Hananiah then said, ‘Yahweh says this, “This is how, in exactly two years’ time, I shall break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and take it off the necks of all the nations.” ‘ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke he had snatched off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah,
13 ‘Go to Hananiah and tell him this, “Yahweh says this: You have broken the wooden yokes only to make iron yokes to replace them!
14 For Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: An iron yoke is what I now lay on the necks of all these nations to enslave them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (They will be enslaved to him; I have even given him the wild animals.)” ‘
15 The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen carefully, Hananiah: Yahweh has not sent you; and thanks to you this people is now relying on what is false.
16 And so, Yahweh says this, “I am going to send you off the face of the earth: you will die this year (since you have preached rebellion against Yahweh).” ‘
17 The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102
29 Keep me far from the way of deceit, grant me the grace of your Law.
43 Do not deprive me of that faithful word, since my hope lies in your judgements.
79 Let those who fear you rally to me, those who understand your instructions.
80 My heart shall be faultless towards your will; then I shall not be ashamed.
95 The wicked may hope to destroy me, but all my thought is of your instructions.
102 I do not turn aside from your judgements, because you yourself have instructed me.
Gospel, Matthew 14:13-21
13 When Jesus received this news he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the crowds heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot.
14 So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
15 When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’
16 Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’
17 But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’
18 So he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’
19 He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples, who gave them to the crowds.
20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps left over, twelve baskets full.
21 Now about five thousand men had eaten, to say nothing of women and children.
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 
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