A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22 KJV
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 Ecclesiastes 10-12 and John 13:1-17
Verses for today – Listen here: For explanations
Reflection for Today.
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Also read the verses, if you like.
Ecclesiastes 10
1 One dead fly can spoil the scent-maker’s oil: a grain of stupidity outweighs wisdom and glory.
2 The sage’s heart leads him aright, the fool’s leads him astray.
3 A fool walks down the road, he has no wit — and everyone remarks, ‘How silly he is!’
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; composure mitigates grave offences.
5 One evil I observe under the sun: the sort of misjudgement to which rulers are prone-
6 folly promoted to the top and the rich taking the lowest place.
7 I see slaves riding on horses and princes on foot like slaves.
8 He who digs a pit falls into it, he who undermines a wall gets bitten by a snake,
9 he who quarries stones gets hurt by them, he who chops wood takes a risk from it.
10 If, for want of sharpening, the blade is blunt, you have to work twice as hard; but it is the outcome that makes wisdom rewarding.
11 If, for want of charming, the snake bites, the snake-charmer gets nothing out of it.
12 The sayings of a sage give pleasure, what a fool says procures his own ruin:
13 his words have their origin in stupidity and their ending in treacherous folly.
14 A fool talks a great deal, but none of us in fact can tell the future; what will happen after us, who can tell?
15 A fool finds hard work very tiring, he cannot even find his own way into town.
16 Woe to you, country with a lad for king, and where princes start feasting in the morning!
17 Happy the land whose king is nobly born, where princes eat at a respectable hour to keep themselves strong and not merely to revel!
18 Thanks to idleness, the roof-tree gives way, thanks to carelessness, the house lets in the rain.
19 We give parties to enjoy ourselves, wine makes us cheerful and money has an answer for everything.
20 Do not abuse the king, even in thought, do not abuse a rich man, even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air might carry the news, a winged messenger might repeat what you have said.
Ecclesiastes 11
1 Cast your bread on the water, eventually you will recover it.
2 Offer a share to seven or to eight people, you can never tell what disaster may occur.
3 When clouds are full of rain, they will shed it on the earth. If a tree falls, whether south or north, where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Keep watching the wind and you will never sow, keep staring at the clouds and you will never reap.
5 You do not understand how the wind blows, or how the embryo grows in a woman’s womb: no more can you understand the work of God, the Creator of all.
6 In the morning, sow your seed, until evening, do not cease from labour, for of any two things you do not know which will succeed, or which of the two is the better.
7 How sweet light is, how delightful it is to see the sun!
8 However many years you live, enjoy them all, but remember, the days of darkness will be many: futility awaits you at the end.
9 Young man, enjoy yourself while you are young, make the most of the days of your youth, follow the prompting and desire of heart and eye, but remember, God will call you to account for everything.
10 Rid your heart of indignation, keep your body clear of suffering, though youth and the age of black hair are both futile.
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator while you are still young, before the bad days come, before the years come which, you will say, give you no pleasure;
2 before the sun and the light grow dim and the moon and stars, before the clouds return after the rain;
3 the time when your watchmen become shaky, when strong men are bent double, when the women, one by one, quit grinding, and, as they look out of the window, find their sight growing dim.
4 When the street-door is kept shut, when the sound of grinding fades away, when the first cry of a bird wakes you up, when all the singing has stopped;
5 when going uphill is an ordeal and you are frightened at every step you take- yet the almond tree is in flower and the grasshopper is weighed down and the caper-bush loses its tang; while you are on the way to your everlasting home and the mourners are assembling in the street;
6 before the silver thread snaps, or the golden bowl is cracked, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the pulley broken at the well-head:
7 the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Sheer futility, Qoheleth says, everything is futile.
9 Besides being a sage, Qoheleth taught the people what he himself knew, having weighed, studied and emended many proverbs.
10 Qoheleth took pains to write in an attractive style and by it to convey truths.
11 The sayings of a sage are like goads, like pegs positioned by shepherds: the same shepherd finds a use for both.
12 Furthermore, my child, you must realise that writing books involves endless hard work, and that much study wearies the body.
13 To sum up the whole matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the duty of everyone.
14 For God will call all our deeds to judgement, all that is hidden, be it good or bad.
John 13:1-17
1 Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end.
2 They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
4 and he got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist;
5 he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’
7 Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’
8 ‘Never!’ said Peter. ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said,
9 ‘Well then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’
10 Jesus said, ‘No one who has had a bath needs washing, such a person is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’
11 He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are’.
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’, he said, ‘what I have done to you?
13 You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am.
14 If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet.
15 I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.
16 ‘In all truth I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the one who sent him.
17 ‘Now that you know this, blessed are you if you behave accordingly.
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Second Corinthians 9:6-10
6 But remember: anyone who sows sparsely will reap sparsely as well — and anyone who sows generously will reap generously as well.
7 Each one should give as much as he has decided on his own initiative, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 God is perfectly able to enrich you with every grace, so that you always have enough for every conceivable need, and your resources overflow in all kinds of good work.
9 As scripture says: To the needy he gave without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever.
10 The one who so freely provides seed for the sower and food to eat will provide you with ample store of seed for sowing and make the harvest of your uprightness a bigger one:
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
1 Alleluia! How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh, who delights in his commandments!
2 His descendants shall be powerful on earth, the race of the honest shall receive blessings:
5 All goes well for one who lends generously, who is honest in all his dealing;
6 for all time to come he will not stumble, for all time to come the upright will be remembered.
7 Bad news holds no fears for him, firm is his heart, trusting in Yahweh.
8 His heart held steady, he has no fears, till he can gloat over his enemies.
9 To the needy he gives without stint, his uprightness stands firm for ever; his reputation is founded on strength.
Gospel, John 12:24-26
24 In all truth I tell you, unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest.
25 Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 Whoever serves me, must follow me, and my servant will be with me wherever I am. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
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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