As long it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. John 9:4 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 : 30-33 and Acts 1.
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Reflection for Today.
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Sirach 30
Concerning Children[a]
30 He who loves his son will whip him often,
so that he may rejoice at the way he turns out.
2 He who disciplines his son will profit by him
and will boast of him among acquaintances.
3 He who teaches his son will make his enemies envious
and will glory in him among his friends.
4 When the father dies, he will not seem to be dead,
for he has left behind him one like himself,
5 whom in his life he looked upon with joy
and at death, without grief.
6 He has left behind him an avenger against his enemies
and one to repay the kindness of his friends.
7 Whoever cherishes his son will bind up his wounds,
and at every cry his heart will be troubled.
8 An unbroken horse turns out stubborn,
and an unchecked son turns out headstrong.
9 Pamper a child, and he will terrorize you;
play with him, and he will grieve you.
10 Do not laugh with him, or you will have sorrow with him,
and in the end you will gnash your teeth.
11 Give him no freedom in his youth;[b]
12 beat his sides while he is young,
or else he will become stubborn and disobey you.[c]
13 Discipline your son and make his yoke heavy,[d]
so that you may not be offended by his shamelessness.
14 Better off poor, healthy, and fit
than rich and afflicted in body.
15 Health and fitness are better than any gold
and a robust body[e] than countless riches.
16 There is no wealth better than health of body
and no gladness above joy of heart.
17 Death is better than a life of misery
and eternal sleep[f] than chronic sickness.
Concerning Foods[g]
18 Good things poured out upon a mouth that is closed
are like offerings of food placed upon a grave.
19 Of what use to an idol is a sacrifice?
For it can neither eat nor smell.
So is the one punished by the Lord;
20 he sees with his eyes and groans
as a eunuch groans when embracing a young woman.[h]
21 Do not give yourself over to sorrow,
and do not distress yourself deliberately.
22 A joyful heart is life itself,
and rejoicing lengthens one’s life span.
23 Indulge yourself[i] and take comfort,
and remove sorrow far from you,
for sorrow has destroyed many,
and no advantage ever comes from it.
24 Jealousy and anger shorten life,
and anxiety brings on premature old age.
25 Those who are cheerful and merry at table
will benefit from their food.
Sirach 31
Right Attitude toward Riches
31 Wakefulness over wealth wastes away one’s flesh,
and anxiety about it drives away sleep.
2 Wakeful anxiety prevents slumber,
and a severe illness carries off sleep.[a]
3 Rich people toil to amass possessions,
and when they rest, they fill themselves with their delicacies.
4 Poor people toil to make a meager living,
and if ever they rest, they become needy.
5 Those who love gold will not be justified;
those who pursue money will be led astray[b] by it.
6 Many have come to ruin because of gold,
and their destruction has met them face to face.
7 It is a stumbling block to those who are avid for it,
and every fool will be taken captive by it.
8 Blessed are the rich who are found blameless
and who do not go after gold.
9 Who are they, that we may call them happy?
For they have done wonders among their people.
10 Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
Let it be for them a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress
and to do evil and did not do it?
11 Their prosperity will be established,[c]
and the assembly will proclaim their acts of charity.
Table Etiquette
12 [d]Are you seated at the table of the great?[e]
Do not be greedy at it,
and do not say, “How much food there is here!”
13 Remember that a greedy eye is a bad thing.
What has been created more greedy than the eye?
Therefore it covers the face with tears.
14 Do not reach out your hand for everything you see,
and do not crowd your neighbor[f] at the dish.
15 Judge your neighbor’s feelings by your own,
and in every matter be thoughtful.
16 Eat what is set before you like a well brought-up person,[g]
and do not chew greedily, or you will be despised.
17 Be the first to stop, as befits good manners,
and do not be insatiable, or you will give offense.
18 If you are seated among many persons,
do not help yourself[h] before they do.
19 How ample a little is for the well-disciplined!
They do not breathe heavily when in bed.
20 Healthy sleep depends on moderate eating;
they rise early and feel fit.
The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea
and colic are with the glutton.
21 If you are overstuffed with food,
get up to vomit, and you will have relief.
22 Listen to me, my child, and do not disregard me,
and in the end you will appreciate my words.
In everything you do be moderate,[i]
and no sickness will overtake you.
23 People bless those who are liberal with food,
and the testimony to their generosity is trustworthy.
24 The city complains of those who are stingy with food,
and the testimony to their stinginess is accurate.
Temperance in Drinking Wine
25 Do not try to prove your strength by wine-drinking,
for wine has destroyed many.
26 As the furnace tests the work of the smith,[j]
so wine tests hearts when the insolent quarrel.
27 Wine is very life to humans
if taken in moderation.
What is life to one who is without wine?
It has been created to make people happy.
28 Wine drunk at the proper time and in moderation
is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul.
29 Wine drunk to excess leads to bitterness of spirit,
to quarrels and stumbling.
30 Drunkenness increases the anger of fools to their own hurt,
reducing their strength and adding wounds.
31 Do not reprove your neighbors at a banquet of wine,
and do not despise them in their merrymaking;
speak no word of reproach to them,
and do not distress them by making demands of them.
Sirach 32
Etiquette at a Banquet
32 If they make you master of the feast, do not exalt yourself;
be among them as one of their number.
Take care of them first and then sit down;
2 when you have fulfilled all your duties, take your place,
so that you may be merry along with them
and receive a wreath for your excellent leadership.
3 Speak, you who are older, for it is your right,
but with accurate knowledge, and do not interrupt the music.
4 Where there is entertainment, do not pour out talk;
do not display your cleverness at the wrong time.
5 A ruby seal in a setting of gold
is a concert of music at a banquet of wine.
6 A seal of emerald in a rich setting of gold
is the melody of music with good wine.
7 Speak, you who are young, if you are obliged to,
but no more than twice and only if asked.
8 Be brief; say much in few words;
be as one who knows and can still hold his tongue.
9 Among the great do not act as their equal;
and when another is speaking, do not babble.
10 Lightning travels ahead of the thunder,
and approval goes before one who is modest.
11 Leave in good time and do not be the last;
go home quickly and do not linger.
12 Amuse yourself there to your heart’s content,
but do not sin through proud speech.
13 But above all bless your Maker,
who intoxicates you with his good gifts.
The Providence of God
14 The one who seeks God[a] will accept his discipline,
and those who rise early to seek him[b] will find favor.
15 The one who seeks the law will be filled with it,
but the hypocrite will stumble at it.
16 Those who fear the Lord will form true judgments,
and they will kindle righteous deeds like a light.
17 Sinners will shun reproof
and will find a decision according to their liking.
18 A sensible person will not overlook a thoughtful suggestion;
an insolent[c] and proud person will not be deterred by fear.[d]
19 Do nothing without deliberation,
but when you have acted do not regret it.
20 Do not go on a path full of hazards,
and do not stumble at an obstacle twice.[e]
21 Do not be overconfident on a smooth[f] road,
22 and give good heed to your paths.[g]
23 Guard[h] yourself in every act,
for this is the keeping of the commandments.
24 The one who keeps the law preserves himself,[i]
and the one who trusts the Lord will not suffer loss.
Sirach 33
No evil will befall the one who fears the Lord,
but in trials such a one will be rescued again and again.
2 The wise will not hate the law,
but the one who is hypocritical about it is like a boat in a storm.
3 The sensible person will trust in the law,[a]
for such a one the law is as dependable as a divine oracle.
4 Prepare what to say, and then you will be listened to;
draw upon your training and give your answer.
5 The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel
and his thoughts like a turning axle.
6 A mocking friend is like a stallion
that neighs no matter who the rider is.
Differences in Nature and in Humankind
7 Why is one day more important than another,
when all the daylight in the year is from the sun?
8 By the Lord’s wisdom they were distinguished,
and he appointed the different seasons and festivals.
9 Some days he exalted and hallowed,
and some he made ordinary days.
10 All humans come from the ground,
and humankind[b] was created out of the dust.
11 In the fullness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them
and appointed their different ways.
12 Some he blessed and exalted,
and some he made holy and brought near to himself,
but some he cursed and brought low
and turned them out of their place.
13 Like clay in the hand of the potter,
to be molded as he pleases,
so are humans in the hand of their Maker,
to be given whatever he decides.
14 Good is the opposite of evil
and life the opposite of death;
so the sinner is the opposite of the godly.
15 Look at all the works of the Most High;
they come in pairs, one the opposite of the other.
16 Now I was the last to keep vigil;
I was like a gleaner following the grape-pickers;
17 by the blessing of the Lord I arrived first,
and like a grape-picker I filled my winepress.
18 Consider that I have not labored for myself alone
but for all who seek instruction.
19 Hear me, you who are great among the people,
and you leaders of the congregation, pay heed!
The Advantage of Independence
20 To son or wife, to brother or friend,
do not give power over yourself, as long as you live,
and do not give your property to another,
in case you change your mind and must ask for it.
21 While you are still alive and have breath in you,
do not let anyone take your place.
22 For it is better that your children should ask from you
than that you should look to the hand of your children.
23 Excel in all that you do;
bring no stain upon your honor.
24 At the time when you end the days of your life,
in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance.
The Treatment of Slaves
25 [c]Fodder and a stick and burdens for a donkey;
bread and discipline and work for a slave.
26 Set your slaves to work,[d] and you will find rest;
leave their hands idle, and they will seek liberty.
27 Yoke and strap will bow the neck,
and for wicked slaves there are racks and tortures.
28 Put them to work in order that they may not be idle,
29 for idleness teaches much evil.
30 Set them to work as is fitting for them,
and if they do not obey make their fetters heavy.
Do not be overbearing toward anyone,
and do nothing without deliberation.
31 If you have but one slave, treat him like yourself,
because you have bought him with blood.
If you have but one slave, treat him like a brother,
for you will need him as you need your life.
32 If you ill-treat him and he leaves you and runs away,
33 which way will you go to seek him?
Acts 1
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering[a] he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying[b] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[c] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
The Ascension of Jesus
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of[d] James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters,[e] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his house become desolate,
and let there be no one to live in it’;
and
‘Let another take his position of overseer.’
21 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place[f] in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Sermons by various teachers about these verses.
Catholic Daily Readings and Reflections
17 After all, Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel; and not by means of wisdom of language, wise words which would make the cross of Christ pointless.
18 The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God.
19 As scripture says: I am going to destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of any who understand.
20 Where are the philosophers? Where are the experts? And where are the debaters of this age? Do you not see how God has shown up human wisdom as folly?
21 Since in the wisdom of God the world was unable to recognise God through wisdom, it was God’s own pleasure to save believers through the folly of the gospel.
22 While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom,
23 we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles foolishness,
24 but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 God’s folly is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 10, 11
1 Shout for joy, you upright; praise comes well from the honest.
2 Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre, play for him on the ten-stringed lyre.
4 The word of Yahweh is straightforward, all he does springs from his constancy.
5 He loves uprightness and justice; the faithful love of Yahweh fills the earth.
10 Yahweh thwarts the plans of nations, frustrates the counsels of peoples;
11 but Yahweh’s own plan stands firm for ever, his heart’s counsel from age to age.
Gospel, Matthew 25:1-13
1 ‘Then the kingdom of Heaven will be like this: Ten wedding attendants took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible:
3 the foolish ones, though they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
4 whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps.
5 The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.
6 But at midnight there was a cry, “Look! The bridegroom! Go out and meet him.”
7 Then all those wedding attendants woke up and trimmed their lamps,
8 and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.”
9 But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.”
10 They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed.
11 The other attendants arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said, “open the door for us.”
12 But he replied, “In truth I tell you, I do not know you.”
13 So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.
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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