Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2nd Corinthians 13:12 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 Sirach : Prologue – 3:28 and John 17:1-19.
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Verses for today – Listen here: For explanations
Reflection for Today.
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Sirach prologue
1 Many great teachings have been given to us through the Law and the Prophets 2 and the others[a] that followed them, 3 and for these we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. 4 Now those who read them must not only themselves understand them 5 but must also as lovers of learning be able through 6 both speaking and writing to help the outsiders. 7 So my grandfather Jesus, who had devoted himself especially 8 to the reading of the Law 9 and the Prophets 10 and the other books of our ancestors 11 and had acquired considerable proficiency in them, 12 was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, 13 so that by becoming familiar also with his book[b] those who love learning 14 might make even greater progress in living according to the law.
15 You are invited, therefore, 17 to read it 16 with goodwill and attention 18 and to be indulgent 19 in cases where we may seem 20 to have rendered some phrases imperfectly, despite our diligent labor in translating. 21–22 For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same effect when translated into another language. 23 Not only this book, 24 but even the Law itself, the Prophets,[c] 25 and the rest of the books 26 differ not a little when read in the original.
27 In the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euergetes, 28 when I came to Egypt and stayed for some time, 29 I found a copy affording[d] no little instruction. 30 It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some diligence and labor to the translation of this book. 31–32 During that time I have applied my skill day and night 33 to complete and publish the book 34 for those living abroad who wish to gain learning and are 35 preparing 36 to live according to the law.
Sirach 1
In Praise of Wisdom
1 All wisdom is from the Lord,
and with him it remains forever.
2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,
and the days of eternity—who can count them?
3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,
the abyss, and wisdom[e]—who can search them out?
4 Wisdom was created before all things
and prudent understanding from eternity.[f]
6 The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed?
Her subtleties—who knows them?[g]
8 There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,
seated upon his throne: the Lord.
9 It is he who created her;
he saw her and took her measure;
he poured her out upon all his works,
10 upon all the living according to his gift;
he lavished her upon those who love him.[h]
Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom
11 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation
and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.
12 The fear of the Lord delights the heart
and gives gladness and joy and long life.[i]
13 Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end;
on the day of their death they will be blessed.
14 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
she is created with the faithful in the womb.
15 She made[j] among humans an eternal foundation,
and among their descendants she will abide faithfully.
16 To fear the Lord is fullness of wisdom;
she inebriates mortals with her fruits;
17 she fills their[k] whole house with desirable goods
and their[l] storehouses with her produce.
18 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,
making peace and perfect health to flourish.[m]
19 She rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension,
and she heightened the glory of those who held her fast.
20 To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom,
and her branches are long life.[n]
22 Unjust anger cannot be justified,
for anger tips the scale to one’s ruin.
23 Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment,
and then cheerfulness comes back to them.
24 They hold back their words until the right moment,
and then the lips of many tell of their good sense.
25 In the treasuries of wisdom is insightful analogy,
but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,
and the Lord will lavish her upon you.
27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline;
fidelity and humility are his delight.
28 Do not disobey the fear of the Lord;
do not approach him with a divided mind.
29 Do not be a hypocrite before others,
and keep watch over your lips.
30 Do not exalt yourself, or you may fall
and bring dishonor upon yourself.
The Lord will reveal your secrets
and overthrow you before the whole congregation,
because you did not come in the fear of the Lord,
and your heart was full of deceit.
Sirach 2
Duties toward God
2 My child, when you come to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for testing.[a]
2 Set your heart right and be steadfast,
and do not be impetuous in time of calamity.
3 Cling to him and do not depart,
so that your last days may be prosperous.
4 Accept whatever befalls you,
and in times of humiliation be patient.
5 For gold is tested in the fire,
and those found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation.[b]
6 Trust in him, and he will help you;
make your ways straight and hope in him.
7 You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
do not stray, or else you may fall.
8 You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
and your reward will not be lost.
9 You who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.[c]
10 Consider the generations of old and see:
Has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?
Or has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord[d] and been forsaken?
Or has anyone called upon him and been neglected?
11 For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he forgives sins and saves in time of distress.
12 Woe to timid hearts and to slack hands
and to the sinner who walks a double path!
13 Woe to the fainthearted who have no trust!
Therefore they will have no shelter.
14 Woe to you who have lost patience!
What will you do when the Lord’s reckoning comes?
15 Those who fear the Lord will not disobey his words,
and those who love him will keep his ways.
16 Those who fear the Lord will seek his favor,
and those who love him will be filled with his law.
17 Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts
and will humble themselves before him.
18 Let us fall into the hands of the Lord
but not into the hands of mortals,
for equal to his majesty is his mercy.[e]
Sirach 3:28
Duties toward Parents
3 Listen to me your father, O children;
act accordingly, that you may be safe.
2 For the Lord honors a father above his children,
and he confirms a mother’s judgment over her sons.
3 Those who honor their father atone for sins,
4 and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.
5 Those who honor their father will have joy in their children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
6 Those who respect their father will have long life,
and those who honor[a] their mother obey the Lord;[b]
7 they will serve their parents as their masters.[c]
8 Honor your father by word and deed,
that his blessing may come upon you.
9 For a father’s blessing strengthens the houses of the children,
but a mother’s curse uproots their foundations.
10 Do not glorify yourself by your father’s dishonor,
for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you.
11 The honor of one’s father is one’s own glory,
and a mother dishonored is a disgrace to her children.
12 My child, help your father in his old age,
and do not grieve him as long as he lives;
13 even if his mind fails, be patient with him;
do not despise him because you have all your faculties.
14 For kindness to a father will not be forgotten
and will be credited to you against your sins;
15 in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
16 Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord.
Humility
17 My child, perform your tasks with humility;
then you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.[d]
18 The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself;
so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord.[e]
20 For great is the might of the Lord,
but by the humble he is glorified.
21 Neither seek what is too difficult for you
nor investigate what is beyond your power.
22 Reflect upon what you have been commanded,
for what is hidden is not your concern.
23 In matters greater than your own affairs, do not meddle,
for things beyond human understanding have been shown you.
24 For their conceit has led many astray,
and wrong opinion has impaired their judgment.
25 Without eyes there is no light;
without knowledge there is no wisdom.[f]
26 A stubborn mind will fare badly at the end,
and whoever loves danger will perish in it.
27 A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles,
and the sinner adds sin to sins.
28 When calamity befalls the proud, there is no healing,
for an evil plant has taken root in him.
John 17:1-19
1 After saying this, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you;
2 so that, just as you have given him power over all humanity, he may give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4 I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.
5 Now, Father, glorify me with that glory I had with you before ever the world existed.
6 I have revealed your name to those whom you took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
7 Now at last they have recognised that all you have given me comes from you
8 for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have indeed accepted it and know for certain that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent me.
9 It is for them that I pray. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.
10 All I have is yours and all you have is mine, and in them I am glorified.
11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us.
12 While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except one who was destined to be lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
13 But now I am coming to you and I say these things in the world to share my joy with them to the full.
14 I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world.
15 I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the Evil One.
16 They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
17 Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,
19 and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Ezekiel 36:23-28
23 I am going to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh — declares the Lord Yahweh — when in you I display my holiness before their eyes.
24 For I shall take you from among the nations and gather you back from all the countries, and bring you home to your own country.
25 I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your filth and of all your foul idols.
26 I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead.
27 I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws, and respect and practice my judgments.
28 You will live in the country which I gave your ancestors. You will be my people and I shall be your God.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.
13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice.
15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise.
18 In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,-burnt offerings and whole oblations — and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
Gospel, Matthew 22:1-14
1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,
2 ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding.
3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.
4 Next he sent some more servants with the words, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.”
5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,
6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.
7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.
8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,
9 go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding.”
10 So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,
12 and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
14 For many are invited but not all are chosen.’
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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