Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 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 : 7-10 and John 18:1-27.
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Verses for today – Listen here: For explanations
Reflection for Today.
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Sirach 7
Miscellaneous Advice
7 Do no evil, and evil will never overtake you.
2 Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
3 Do[a] not sow in the furrows of injustice,
and you will not reap a sevenfold crop.
4 Do not seek from the Lord high office
or the seat of honor from the king.
5 Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord
or display your wisdom before the king.
6 Do not seek to become a judge,
or you may be unable to root out injustice;
perhaps you will fear the powerful
and so mar your integrity.
7 Commit no offense against the public,
and do not disgrace yourself among the people.
8 Do not commit a sin twice;
even for one you will not go unpunished.
9 Do not say, “He will consider the great number of my gifts,
and when I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it.”
10 Do not grow weary when you pray;
do not neglect to give alms.
11 Do not ridicule a person who is embittered in spirit,
for there is one who humbles and exalts.
12 Do not devise[b] a lie against your brother
or do the same to a friend.
13 Refuse to utter any lie,
for it is a habit that results in no good.
14 Do not babble in the company of the elders,
and do not repeat yourself when you pray.
15 Do not hate hard labor
or farm work, which was created by the Most High.
16 Do not enroll in the ranks of sinners;
remember that retribution will not delay.
17 Humble yourself to the utmost,
for the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms.[c]
Relations with Others
18 Do not exchange a friend for money
or a real brother for the gold of Ophir.
19 Do not dismiss[d] a wise and good wife,
for her charm is worth more than gold.
20 Do not abuse slaves who work faithfully
or hired laborers who give of themselves.
21 Let your soul love intelligent slaves;[e]
do not withhold from them their freedom.
22 Do you have cattle? Look after them;
if they are profitable to you, keep them.
23 Do you have children? Discipline them,
and make them obedient[f] from their youth.
24 Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity,[g]
and do not show yourself too indulgent with them.[h]
25 Give a daughter in marriage, and you complete a great task,
but give her to a sensible man.
26 Do you have a wife who pleases you?[i] Do not divorce her,
but do not trust yourself to one whom you detest.
27 With all your heart honor your father,
and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.
28 Remember that it was of your parents[j] you were born;
how will you repay what they have given to you?
29 With all your soul fear the Lord
and revere his priests.
30 With all your might love your Maker,
and do not neglect his ministers.
31 Fear the Lord and honor the priest,
and give him his portion, as you have been commanded:
the first fruits, the purification offering, the gift of the shoulders,
the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of the holy things.
32 Stretch out your hand to the poor,
so that your blessing may be complete.
33 Give graciously to all the living;
do not withhold kindness even from the dead.
34 Do not lag behind those who weep,
but mourn with those who mourn.
35 Do not hesitate to visit the sick,
because for such deeds you will be loved.
36 In all you do, remember the end of your life,
and then you will never sin.
Sirach 8
Prudence and Common Sense
8 Do not contend with the powerful,
or you may fall into their hands.
2 Do not quarrel with the rich,
in case their resources outweigh yours,
for gold has ruined many
and has perverted the minds of kings.
3 Do not argue with the loud of mouth,
and do not heap wood on their fire.
4 Do not make fun of one who is uneducated,
or your ancestors may be insulted.
5 Do not reproach one who is turning away from sin;
remember that we all deserve punishment.
6 Do not disdain one who is old,
for some of us are also growing old.
7 Do not rejoice over anyone’s death;
remember that we must all die.
8 Do not slight the discourse of the sages,
but turn to their maxims,
because from them you will learn discipline
and how to serve the great.
9 Do not ignore the discourse of the aged,
for they themselves learned from their parents;[a]
from them you learn how to understand
and to give an answer when the need arises.
10 Do not kindle the coals of sinners,
or you may be burned[b] in their flaming fire.
11 Do not let the insolent bring you to your feet,
or they may lie in ambush against your words.
12 Do not lend to one who is stronger than you,
but if you do lend anything, count it as a loss.
13 Do not give surety beyond your means,
but if you give surety be prepared to pay.
14 Do not go to law against a judge,
for the decision will favor him because of his standing.
15 Do not travel on the road with the reckless,
or your troubles may become burdensome,
for they will act as they please,
and through their folly you will perish with them.
16 Do not pick a fight with the quick-tempered,
and do not journey with them through a deserted region,
because bloodshed means nothing to them,
and where no help is at hand they will strike you down.
17 Do not consult with fools,
for they cannot keep a secret.
18 In the presence of strangers do nothing that is to be kept secret,
for you do not know what they will divulge.[c]
19 Do not reveal your thoughts to anyone,
or you may drive away your happiness.[d]
Sirach 9
Advice concerning Women
9 Do not be jealous of the wife whom you embrace,
or you will teach her an evil lesson to your own hurt.
2 Do not give yourself to a woman
and let her trample down your strength.
3 Do not go near a loose woman,[a]
or you may fall into her snares.
4 Do not dally with a female singer,
or you may be caught in her activities.
5 Do not look intently at a virgin,
or you may stumble and incur penalties for her.
6 Do not give yourself to prostitutes,
or you may lose your inheritance.
7 Do not look around in the streets of a city
or wander about in its deserted sections.
8 Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman,
and do not gaze at beauty belonging to another;
many have been seduced by a woman’s beauty,
and by it passion is kindled like a fire.
9 Never dine[b] with another man’s wife
or revel with her at wine,
or your heart may turn aside to her,
and in blood[c] you may plunge into destruction.
Choice of Friends
10 Do not abandon old friends,
for new ones cannot equal them.
A new friend is like new wine;
when it has aged, you will drink it with pleasure.
11 Do not envy the notoriety of sinners,
for you do not know what their end will be like.
12 Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly;[d]
remember that they will not be held guiltless until Hades.
13 Keep far from those who have power to kill,
and you will not be haunted by the fear of death.
But if you approach them, make no misstep,
or they may rob you of your life.
Know that you are stepping among snares
and that you are walking on the city battlements.
14 As much as you can, aim to know your neighbors,
and consult with the wise.
15 Let your conversation be with intelligent people,
and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.
16 Let the righteous be your dinner companions,
and let your boast be in the fear of the Lord.
Concerning Rulers
17 A work is praised for the skill of the artisan,
so a people’s leader is proved wise by his words.
18 The loud of mouth are feared in their city,
and the one who is reckless in speech is hated.
Sirach 10
10 A wise magistrate educates his people,
and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered.
2 As the people’s judge is, so are his officials;
as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants.
3 An undisciplined king ruins his people,
but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers.
4 The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord,
and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time.
5 Human success is in the hand of the Lord,
and it is he who confers honor upon the lawgiver.[a]
The Sin of Pride
6 Do not get angry with your neighbor for every injury,
and do not resort to acts of insolence.
7 Arrogance is hateful to the Lord and to mortals,
and injustice is outrageous to both.
8 Sovereignty passes from nation to nation
on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.[b]
9 How can dust and ashes be proud?
Even in life the human body is infested with worms.[c]
10 A long illness mocks the physician;
the king of today will die tomorrow.
11 For when humans die
they inherit maggots and vermin[d] and worms.
12 The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;
the heart has withdrawn from its Maker.
13 For the beginning of pride is sin,
and the one who clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord brought upon them unheard-of calamities
and destroyed them completely.[e]
14 The Lord overthrew the thrones of rulers
and enthroned the lowly in their place.
15 The Lord plucked up the roots of the nations[f]
and planted the humble in their place.
16 The Lord laid waste the lands of the nations
and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.
17 He removed some of them and destroyed them
and erased the memory of them from the earth.
18 Pride was not created for human beings
or violent anger for those born of women.
Persons Deserving Honor
19 Whose offspring are worthy of honor?
Human offspring.
Whose offspring are worthy of honor?
Those who fear the Lord.
Whose offspring are unworthy of honor?
Human offspring.
Whose offspring are unworthy of honor?
Those who break the commandments.
20 Among family members their leader is worthy of honor,
but those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.[g]
22 The guest and the stranger[h] and the poor—
their boast is the fear of the Lord.
23 It is not right to despise one who is intelligent but poor,
and it is not proper to honor one who is sinful.
24 The prince and the judge and the ruler are honored,
but none of them is greater than the one who fears the Lord.
25 Free people will serve a wise slave,
and an intelligent person will not complain.
Concerning Humility
26 Do not make a display of your wisdom when you do your work,
and do not extol yourself when you are in difficulty.
27 Better those who work and have plenty
than those who boast and lack bread.
28 My child, honor yourself with humility,
and give yourself the esteem you deserve.
29 Who will acquit those who condemn[i] themselves,
and who will honor those who dishonor themselves?[j]
30 The poor are honored for their knowledge,
while the rich are honored for their wealth.
31 One who is honored in poverty, how much more in wealth!
And one dishonored in wealth, how much more in poverty!
John 18 : 1-27
1 After he had said all this, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron valley where there was a garden into which he went with his disciples.
2 Judas the traitor knew the place also, since Jesus had often met his disciples there,
3 so Judas brought the cohort to this place together with guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Knowing everything that was to happen to him, Jesus came forward and said, ‘Who are you looking for?’
5 They answered, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ Now Judas the traitor was standing among them.
6 When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they moved back and fell on the ground.
7 He asked them a second time, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’
8 Jesus replied, ‘I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.’
9 This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’
10 Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’
12 The cohort and its tribune and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him.
13 They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 It was Caiaphas who had counselled the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’
15 Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace,
16 but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the door-keeper and brought Peter in.
17 The girl on duty at the door said to Peter, ‘Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?’ He answered, ‘I am not.’
18 Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
19 The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 Jesus answered, ‘I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together; I have said nothing in secret.
21 Why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught; they know what I said.’
22 At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, ‘Is that the way you answer the high priest?’
23 Jesus replied, ‘If there is some offence in what I said, point it out; but if not, why do you strike me?’
24 Then Annas sent him, bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’ He denied it saying, ‘I am not.’
26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’
27 Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crowed.
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
1 He took me to the gate, the one facing east.
2 I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with him like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory.
3 This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen by the River Chebar. Then I fell to the ground.
4 The glory of Yahweh arrived at the Temple by the east gate.
5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of Yahweh fill the Temple.
6 And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me.
7 He said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the Israelites for ever; and the House of Israel, they and their kings, will never again defile my holy name with their whorings and the corpses of their kings,
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
9 His saving help is near for those who fear him, his glory will dwell in our land.
10 Faithful Love and Loyalty join together, Saving Justice and Peace embrace.
11 Loyalty will spring up from the earth, and Justice will lean down from heaven.
12 Yahweh will himself give prosperity, and our soil will yield its harvest.
13 Justice will walk before him, treading out a path.
Gospel, Matthew 23:1-12
1 Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,
2 ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.
3 You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!
5 Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,
6 like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,
7 being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
8 ‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.
9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.
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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