Accept one another , then, Just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 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 : 14:3-18:33 and John – 19:17-42.
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Reflection for Today.
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Sirach 14:3
Responsible Use of Wealth
3 Riches are inappropriate for the small-minded,
and of what use is wealth to misers?
4 What they deny themselves they collect for others,
and others will live in luxury on their goods.
5 If they are mean to themselves, to whom will they be generous?
They will not enjoy their own riches.
6 No one is worse than those who are grudging to themselves;
this is the repayment for their meanness.
7 If ever they do good, it is by mistake,[a]
and in the end they reveal their meanness.
8 Misers are evil people;
they turn away and disregard people.
9 The eyes of the greedy are not satisfied with their share;
greedy injustice withers the soul.
10 Misers begrudge bread,
and it is lacking at their tables.
11 My child, treat yourself well, according to your means,
and present worthy offerings to the Lord.
12 Remember that death does not tarry,
and the decree[b] of Hades has not been shown to you.
13 Do good to friends before you die,
and reach out and give to them as much as you can.
14 Do not deprive yourself of a day’s enjoyment;
do not let your share of desired good pass by you.
15 Will you not leave the fruit of your labors to another,
and what you acquired by toil to be divided by lot?
16 Give and take and indulge yourself,
because in Hades one cannot look for luxury.
17 All living beings become old like a garment,
for the decree[c] from of old is, “You must die!”
18 Like abundant leaves on a spreading tree
that sheds some and puts forth others,
so are the generations of flesh and blood:
one dies, and another is born.
19 Every work decays and ceases to exist,
and the one who made it will pass away with it.
The Happiness of Seeking Wisdom
20 Happy are those who meditate on[d] wisdom
and who reason intelligently,
21 who reflect in their hearts on her ways
and ponder her secrets,
22 pursuing her like a hunter
and lying in wait on her paths;
23 who peer through her windows
and listen at her doors;
24 who camp near her house
and fasten their tent pegs to her walls;
25 who pitch their tents near her
and so occupy an excellent lodging place;
26 who place their children under her shelter
and lodge under her boughs;
27 who are sheltered by her from the heat
and dwell in the midst of her glory.
Sirach 15
Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.[a]
2 She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like a young bride she will welcome him.
3 She will feed him with the bread of understanding
and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
4 He will lean on her and not fall,
and he will rely on her and not be put to shame.
5 She will exalt him above his neighbors
and will open his mouth in the midst of the assembly.
6 Gladness[b] and a crown of rejoicing
and an everlasting name he will inherit.
7 The foolish will not obtain her,
and sinners will not see her.
8 She is far from arrogance,
and liars will never think of her.
9 Praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner,
for it has not been sent from the Lord.
10 For in wisdom must praise be uttered,
and the Lord will make it prosper.
Freedom of Choice
11 Do not say, “It was the Lord’s doing that I fell away,”
for he does not do[c] what he hates.
12 Do not say, “It was he who led me astray,”
for he has no need of the sinful.
13 The Lord hates all abominations;
such things are not loved by those who fear him.
14 It was he who created humans in the beginning,
and he left them in the power of their own inclinations.[d]
15 If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your choice.
16 He has placed before you fire and water;
stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
17 Before each person are life and death,
and whichever one chooses will be given.
18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
19 his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every human action.
20 He has not commanded anyone to be ungodly,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin.
Sirach 16
God’s Punishment of Sinners
16 Do not desire a multitude of worthless[a] children,
and do not rejoice in ungodly offspring.
2 If they multiply, do not rejoice in them,
unless the fear of the Lord is in them.
3 Do not trust in their survival
or rely on their numbers,[b]
for one can be better than a thousand,
and to die childless is better than to have ungodly children.
4 For through one intelligent person a city can be filled with people,
but through a clan of outlaws it becomes desolate.
5 Many such things my eye has seen,
and my ear has heard things more striking than these.
6 In an assembly of sinners a fire is kindled,
and in a disobedient nation wrath has blazed up.
7 He did not forgive the ancient giants[c]
who revolted in their might.
8 He did not spare the neighbors of Lot,
whom he loathed on account of their arrogance.
9 He showed no pity on the doomed nation,
on those dispossessed because of their sins,[d]
10 or on the six hundred thousand foot soldiers
who assembled in their stubbornness.[e]
11 Even if there were only one stiff-necked person,
it would be a wonder if he remained unpunished.
For mercy and wrath are with the Lord;[f]
he acquits and forgives,[g] but he also pours out wrath.
12 Great as is his mercy, so also is his chastisement;
he judges people according to their deeds.
13 The sinner will not escape with plunder,
and the patience of the godly will not be frustrated.
14 He makes room for every act of almsgiving;
everyone receives in accordance with his or her deeds.[h]
17 Do not say, “I am hidden from the Lord,
and who from on high has me in mind?
Among so many people I am unknown,
for what am I in a boundless creation?
18 Look, heaven and the highest heaven,
the abyss and the earth tremble at his visitation![i]
19 Together the mountains and the foundations of the earth
shake and tremble when he looks upon them.
20 But no human mind can grasp this,
and who can comprehend his ways?
21 Like a tempest that no one can see,
so most of his works are concealed.[j]
22 Who is to announce his acts of justice?
Or who can await them? For his decree[k] is far off.”[l]
23 Such are the thoughts of one devoid of understanding;
a senseless and misguided person thinks foolishly.
God’s Wisdom Seen in Creation
24 Listen to me, my child, and acquire knowledge,
and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart discipline precisely[m]
and declare knowledge accurately.
26 When the Lord created[n] his works from the beginning
and, in making them, determined their boundaries,
27 he arranged their works in an eternal order
and their dominion[o] for all generations.
They neither hunger nor grow weary,
and they do not abandon their tasks.
28 They do not crowd one another,
and they never disobey his word.
29 Then the Lord looked upon the earth
and filled it with his good things.
30 With all kinds of living beings he covered its surface,
and into it they must return.
Sirach 17
The Lord created humans out of earth
and makes them return to it again.
2 He gave them a fixed number of days
but granted them authority over everything on the earth.[a]
3 He endowed them with strength like his own[b]
and made them in his own image.
4 He put the fear of them[c] in all living beings
and gave them dominion over beasts and birds.[d]
6 Discretion and tongue and eyes,
ears and a mind for thinking he gave them.
7 He filled them with knowledge and understanding
and showed them good and evil.
8 He put the fear of him into[e] their hearts
to show them the majesty of his works.[f]
10 And they will praise his holy name,
9 to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
11 He bestowed knowledge upon them
and allotted to them the law of life.[g]
12 He established with them an eternal covenant
and revealed to them his decrees.
13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
14 He said to them, “Beware of all iniquity.”
And he gave commandment to each of them concerning the neighbor.
15 Their ways are always before him;
they will not be hidden from his eyes.[h]
17 He appointed a ruler for every nation,
but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.[i]
19 All their works are as the sun before him,
and his eyes are ever upon their ways.
20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him,
and all their sins are before the Lord.[j]
22 One’s almsgiving is like a signet ring with the Lord,[k]
and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.[l]
23 Afterward he will rise up and repay them,
and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
24 Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
and he encourages those who are losing hope.
A Call to Repentance
25 Turn back to the Lord and forsake your sins;
pray in his presence and lessen your offense.
26 Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity[m]
and hate intensely what is abhorrent.
27 Who will sing praises to the Most High in Hades
in place of the living who give thanks?
28 From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased;
those who are alive and well sing the Lord’s praises.
29 How great is the mercy of the Lord
and his forgiveness for those who return to him!
30 For not everything is within human capability,
since human beings are not immortal.
31 What is brighter than the sun? Yet it can be eclipsed.
So flesh and blood devise evil.
32 He marshals the host of the height of heaven,
but all humans are dust and ashes.
Sirach 18:33
The Majesty of God
18 He who lives forever created the whole universe;
2 the Lord alone will be justified.[a]
4 To none has he given power to proclaim his works,
and who can search out his mighty deeds?
5 Who can measure his majestic power,
and who can fully recount his mercies?
6 It is not possible to diminish or increase them,
nor is it possible to fathom the wonders of the Lord.
7 When humans have finished, they are just beginning,
and when they stop, they are still perplexed.
8 What are humans, and of what use are they?
What is good in them, and what is evil?
9 The number of days in their life is great if they reach one hundred years.[b]
10 Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand,
so are a few years among the days of eternity.
11 That is why the Lord is patient with them
and pours out his mercy upon them.
12 He sees and recognizes that their end is miserable;
therefore he grants his forgiveness all the more.
13 The compassion of humans is for their neighbors,
but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing.
He rebukes and trains and teaches them
and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.
14 He has compassion on those who accept his discipline
and who are eager for his decrees.
The Right Spirit in Giving Alms
15 My child, do not mix reproach with your good deeds
or harsh words with any gift.
16 Does not the dew give relief from the scorching heat?
So a word is better than a gift.
17 Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift?
Both are to be found in a gracious person.
18 A fool will rebuke ungraciously,
and the gift of a grudging giver makes the eyes weary.
The Need of Reflection and Self-control
19 Before you speak, learn,
and before you fall ill, take care of yourself.
20 Before judgment comes, examine yourself,
and at the time of scrutiny you will find forgiveness.
21 Before falling ill, humble yourself,
and when you have sinned, repent.
22 Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,
and do not wait until death to be released from it.
23 Before making a vow, prepare yourself;
do not be like one who puts the Lord to the test.
24 Think of his wrath on the day of death
and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face.
25 In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;
in days of wealth think of poverty and need.
26 From morning to evening conditions change;
all things move swiftly before the Lord.
27 One who is wise is cautious in everything;
when sin is all around, one guards against wrongdoing.
28 Every intelligent person knows wisdom
and praises the one who finds her.
29 Those who are skilled in words become wise themselves
and pour forth apt proverbs.[c]
Self-Control[d]
30 Do not follow your base desires
but restrain your appetites.
31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,
it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies.
32 Do not revel in great luxury,
or you may become impoverished by contact with it.
33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,
when you have nothing in your purse.[e]
John 19:17-42
17 and carrying his own cross he went out to the Place of the Skull or, as it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
18 where they crucified him with two others, one on either side, Jesus being in the middle.
19 Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’.
20 This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek.
21 So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, ‘You should not write “King of the Jews”, but that the man said, “I am King of the Jews”. ‘
22 Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’
23 When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem;
24 so they said to one another, ‘Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.’ In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothes. That is what the soldiers did.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
26 Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’
27 Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
28 After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed and, so that the scripture should be completely fulfilled, he said: I am thirsty.
29 A jar full of sour wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a hyssop stick, they held it up to his mouth.
30 After Jesus had taken the wine he said, ‘It is fulfilled’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
31 It was the Day of Preparation, and to avoid the bodies’ remaining on the cross during the Sabbath — since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity — the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away.
32 Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other.
33 When they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs
34 one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.
35 This is the evidence of one who saw it — true evidence, and he knows that what he says is true — and he gives it so that you may believe as well.
36 Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken;
37 and again, in another place scripture says: They will look to the one whom they have pierced.
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus — though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews — asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away.
39 Nicodemus came as well — the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time — and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.
40 They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, following the Jewish burial custom.
41 At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried.
42 Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
Reading 1, Second Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
1 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonica which is in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We must always thank God for you, brothers; quite rightly, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the mutual love that each one of you has for all never stops increasing.
4 Among the churches of God we take special pride in you for your perseverance and faith under all the persecutions and hardships you have to bear.
5 It all shows that God’s judgement is just, so that you may be found worthy of the kingdom of God; it is for the sake of this that you are suffering now.
11 In view of this we also pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness, and complete all that you have been doing through faith;
12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 96:1-2, 2-3, 4-5
1 Sing a new song to Yahweh! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
2 Sing to Yahweh, bless his name! Proclaim his salvation day after day,
3 declare his glory among the nations, his marvels to every people!
4 Great is Yahweh, worthy of all praise, more awesome than any of the gods.
5 All the gods of the nations are idols! It was Yahweh who made the heavens;
Gospel, Matthew 23:13-22
13 ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go who want to.
14 * [23:14] Some manuscripts add a verse here or after Mt 23:12, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. Because of this, you will receive a very severe condemnation.” Cf. Mk 12:40; Lk 20:47. This “woe” is almost identical with Mk 12:40 and seems to be an interpolation derived from that text. (USCCB)
15 ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and anyone who becomes one you make twice as fit for hell as you are.
16 ‘Alas for you, blind guides! You say, “If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound.”
17 Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 Again, “If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on the altar, is bound.”
19 You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred?
20 Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it.
21 And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it.
22 And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.
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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