Now we see only a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; than I shall know fully, as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV
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 : 3:29-6:37 and John 17:20-26.
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Verses for today – Listen here: For explanations
Reflection for Today.
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Also read the verses, if you like.
Sirach 3:29
29 The mind of the intelligent appreciates proverbs,
and an attentive ear is the desire of the wise.
Alms for the Poor
30 As water extinguishes a blazing fire,
so almsgiving atones for sin.
31 Those who repay favors give thought to the future;
when they fall they will find support.
Sirach 4
Duties toward the Poor and the Oppressed
4 My child, do not cheat the poor of their living,
and do not keep needy eyes waiting.
2 Do not grieve the hungry
or anger one in need.
3 Do not add to the troubles of the angry
or delay giving to the needy.
4 Do not reject a suppliant in distress
or turn your face away from the poor.
5 Do not avert your eye from the needy,
and give no one reason to curse you,
6 for if in bitterness of soul some should curse you,
their Creator will hear their prayer.
7 Endear yourself to the congregation;
bow your head low to the great.
8 Give a hearing to the poor,
and return their greeting kindly.
9 Rescue the oppressed from the oppressor,
and do not be hesitant in giving a verdict.
10 Be a father to orphans,
and be like a husband to their mother;
you will then be like a son of the Most High,
and he will love you more than does your mother.
The Rewards of Wisdom
11 Wisdom teaches[a] her children
and takes hold of those who seek her.
12 Whoever loves her loves life,
and those who seek her from early morning will be filled with joy.
13 Whoever holds her fast inherits glory,
and the Lord blesses the place she[b] enters.
14 Those who serve her minister to the Holy One;
the Lord loves those who love her.
15 Whoever obeys her will judge the nations,
and whoever listens to her will live securely.
16 If they remain faithful, they will inherit her;
their descendants will also obtain her.
17 For at first she will walk with them in disguise;
she will bring fear and dread upon them
and will torment them by her discipline
until she trusts them,[c]
and she will test them with her ordinances.
18 Then she will come straight back to them again and gladden them
and will reveal her secrets to them.
19 If they go astray, she will forsake them
and hand them over to their ruin.
20 Watch for the opportune time, and beware of evil,
and do not be ashamed to be yourself.
21 For there is a shame that leads to sin,
and there is a shame that is glory and favor.
22 Do not show partiality to your own harm
or deference to your downfall.
23 Do not refrain from speaking at the proper moment,[d]
and do not hide your wisdom.[e]
24 For wisdom becomes known through speech
and education through the words of the tongue.
25 Never speak against the truth,
but be ashamed of your ignorance.
26 Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
and do not try to stop the current of a river.
27 Do not subject yourself to a fool
or show partiality to a ruler.
28 Fight to the death for truth,
and the Lord God will fight for you.
29 Do not be reckless in your speech
or sluggish and remiss in your deeds.
30 Do not be like a lion in your home
or suspicious of your slaves.
31 Do not let your hand be stretched out to receive
and closed when it is time to give back.
Sirach 5
Precepts for Everyday Living
5 Do not rely on your wealth
or say, “I have enough.”
2 Do not follow your inclination and strength
in pursuing the desires of your heart.
3 Do not say, “Who can have power over me?”
for the Lord will surely punish you.
4 Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger.
5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness[a]
that you add sin to sins.
6 Do not say, “His mercy is great;
he will forgive[b] the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
and his anger will rest on sinners.
7 Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day,
for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come forth,
and at the time of punishment you will perish.
8 Do not rely on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity.
9 Do not winnow in every wind
or follow every path.[c]
10 Stand firm in what you know,
and let your speech be consistent.
11 Be quick to hear,
and utter a reply patiently.
12 If you understand, answer your neighbor,
but if not, put your hand over your mouth.
13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking,
and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall.
14 Do not be called double-tongued[d]
and do not lay traps with your tongue,
for shame comes to the thief
and severe condemnation to the double-tongued.
15 In great and small matters cause no harm,[e]
Sirach 6:37
6 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend,
for a bad name incurs shame and reproach;
so it is with the double-tongued sinner.
2 Do not fall into the grip of passion,[a]
or you may be torn apart as by a bull.[b]
3 Your leaves will be devoured and your fruit destroyed,
and you will be left like a withered tree.
4 Strong passion[c] destroys those who have it
and makes them the laughingstock of their enemies.
Friendship, False and True
5 Pleasant speech multiplies friends,
and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.
6 Let those who are at peace with you be many,
but let your advisers be one in a thousand.
7 When you gain friends, gain them through testing,
and do not trust them hastily.
8 For there are friends who are such when it suits them,
but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.
9 And there are friends who turn to enmity
and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.
10 And there are friends who are companions at the table,
but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.
11 When you are prosperous, they become your second self
and boldly command your slaves,
12 but if you are brought low, they turn against you
and hide themselves from you.
13 Keep away from your enemies,
and be on guard with your friends.
14 Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter;
whoever finds one has found a treasure.
15 Faithful friends are beyond price;
no amount can balance their worth.
16 Faithful friends are life-saving medicine,
and those who fear the Lord will find them.
17 Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,
for as they are, so are their neighbors also.
Blessings of Wisdom
18 My child, from your youth choose discipline,
and when you have gray hair you will find wisdom.
19 Come to her like one who plows and sows,
and wait for her good harvest.
For when you cultivate her you will toil but little,
and soon you will eat of her produce.
20 She seems very harsh to the undisciplined;
fools will not remain with her.
21 She will be like a heavy stone to test them,
and they will not delay in casting her aside.
22 For wisdom is like her name;
she is not readily perceived by many.
23 Listen, my child, and accept my judgment;
do not reject my counsel.
24 Put your feet into her fetters
and your neck into her collar.
25 Bend your shoulder and carry her,
and do not become angry with her bonds.
26 Come to her with all your soul,
and keep her ways with all your might.
27 Search out and seek, and she will become known to you,
and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
28 For at last you will find her rest,
and she will be changed into joy for you.
29 Then her fetters will become for you a strong defense,
and her collar a glorious robe.
30 Her yoke[d] is a golden ornament
and her bonds a purple cord.
31 You will wear her like a glorious robe
and put her on like a splendid crown.[e]
32 If you are willing, my child, you can be disciplined,
and if you apply yourself you will become clever.
33 If you love to listen you will accept discipline,
and if you pay attention you will become wise.
34 Stand in the company of the elders.
Who is wise? Attach yourself to such a one.
35 Be ready to listen to every godly discourse,
and let no wise proverbs escape you.
36 If you see an intelligent person, rise early to visit him;
let your foot wear out his doorstep.
37 Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,
and meditate at all times on his commandments.
It is he who will give insight to[f] your mind,
and your desire for wisdom will be granted.
John 17:20-26
20 I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.
21 May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
22 I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one.
23 With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me.
24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 Father, Upright One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
26 I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of Yahweh was on me; he carried me away by the spirit of Yahweh and set me down in the middle of the valley, a valley full of bones.
2 He made me walk up and down and all around among them. There were vast quantities of these bones on the floor of the valley; and they were completely dry.
3 He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘You know, Lord Yahweh.’
4 He said, ‘Prophesy over these bones. Say, “Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh.
5 The Lord Yahweh says this to these bones: I am now going to make breath enter you, and you will live.
6 I shall put sinews on you, I shall make flesh grow on you, I shall cover you with skin and give you breath, and you will live; and you will know that I am Yahweh.” ‘
7 I prophesied as I had been ordered. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a clattering sound; it was the bones coming together.
8 And as I looked, they were covered with sinews; flesh was growing on them and skin was covering them, yet there was no breath in them.
9 He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man. Say to the breath, “The Lord Yahweh says this: Come from the four winds, breath; breathe on these dead, so that they come to life!” ‘
10 I prophesied as he had ordered me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet, a great, an immense army.
11 Then he said, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They keep saying, “Our bones are dry, our hope has gone; we are done for.”
12 So, prophesy. Say to them, “The Lord Yahweh says this: I am now going to open your graves; I shall raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel.
13 And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people,
14 and put my spirit in you, and you revive, and I resettle you on your own soil. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and done this — declares the Lord Yahweh.” ‘
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
2 So let them say whom Yahweh redeemed, whom he redeemed from the power of their enemies,
3 bringing them back from foreign lands, from east and west, north and south.
4 They were wandering in the desert, in the wastelands, could find no way to an inhabited city;
5 they were hungry and thirsty, their life was ebbing away.
6 They cried out to Yahweh in their distress, he rescued them from their plight,
7 he set them on the road, straight to an inhabited city.
8 Let them thank Yahweh for his faithful love, for his wonders for the children of Adam!
9 He has fed the hungry to their hearts’ content, filled the starving with good things.
Gospel, Matthew 22:34-40
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they got together
35 and, to put him to the test, one of them put a further question,
36 ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
39 The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.
40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.’
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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