june 30, 2011 Gn 22:1b-19 Psalms 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Mt 9:1-8

Gn 22:1b-19 

¹ It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he called. 'Here I am,' he replied.
² God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.'
³ Early next morning Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place which God had indicated to him.
⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
⁵ Then Abraham said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there; we shall worship and then come back to you.'
⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his own hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together.
⁷ Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. 'Father?' he said. 'Yes, my son,' he replied. 'Look,' he said, 'here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'
⁸ Abraham replied, 'My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.' And the two of them went on together.
⁹ When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood.
¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
¹¹ But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied.
¹² 'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.'
¹³ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
¹⁴ Abraham called this place 'Yahweh provides', and hence the saying today: 'On the mountain Yahweh provides.'
¹⁵ The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven.
¹⁶ 'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son,
¹⁷ I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies.
¹⁸ All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'
¹⁹ Abraham went back to his servants, and together they set out for Beersheba, and Abraham settled in Beersheba.

Psalms 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 

¹ Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give the glory, for your faithful love and your constancy!
² Why should the nations ask, 'Where is their God?'
³ Our God is in heaven, he creates whatever he chooses.
⁴ They have idols of silver and gold, made by human hands.
⁵ These have mouths but say nothing, have eyes but see nothing,
⁶ have ears but hear nothing, have noses but smell nothing.
⁸ Their makers will end up like them, and all who rely on them.
⁹ House of Israel, rely on Yahweh; he is their help and their shield.

Mt 9:1-8 

¹ He got back in the boat, crossed the water and came to his home town.
² And suddenly some people brought him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'Take comfort, my child, your sins are forgiven.'
³ And now some scribes said to themselves, 'This man is being blasphemous.'
⁴ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, 'Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts?
⁵ Now, which of these is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Get up and walk"?
⁶ But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' -- then he said to the paralytic-'get up, pick up your bed and go off home.'
⁷ And the man got up and went home.
⁸ A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for having given such authority to human beings.

june 29, 2011 Acts 3:1-10 Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Jn 21:15-19 Gal 1:11-20

Acts 3:1-10 

¹ Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour,
² it happened that there was a man being carried along. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in.
³ When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them.
⁴ Peter, and John too, looked straight at him and said, 'Look at us.'
⁵ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them,
⁶ but Peter said, 'I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!'
⁷ Then he took him by the right hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm,
⁸ he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God.
⁹ Everyone could see him walking and praising God,
¹⁰ and they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and perplexed at what had happened to him.

Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 

I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.

³ Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.
⁴ I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.
⁵ Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.
⁶ A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.
⁸ Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.
⁹ Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for nothing.

Jn 21:15-19 

5 When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep.'
¹⁷ Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.
¹⁸ In all truth I tell you, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.'
¹⁹ In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, 'Follow me.' 

Gal 1:11-20

1 Now I want to make it quite clear to you, brothers, about the gospel that was preached by me, that it was no human message. ¹² It was not from any human being that I received it, and I was not taught it, but it came to me through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
¹³ You have surely heard how I lived in the past, within Judaism, and how there was simply no limit to the way I persecuted the Church of God in my attempts to destroy it;
¹⁴ and how, in Judaism, I outstripped most of my Jewish contemporaries in my limitless enthusiasm for the traditions of my ancestors.
¹⁵ But when God, who had set me apart from the time when I was in my mother's womb, called me through his grace and chose
¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I should preach him to the gentiles, I was in no hurry to confer with any human being,
¹⁷ or to go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me. Instead, I went off to Arabia, and later I came back to Damascus.
¹⁸ Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas. I stayed fifteen days with him
¹⁹ but did not set eyes on any of the rest of the apostles, only James, the Lord's brother.
²⁰ I swear before God that what I have written is the truth.

 

 

June 28, 2011 Gn 19:15-29 Psalms 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

Gn 19:15-29 

¹⁵ When dawn broke the angels urged Lot on, 'To your feet! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.'
¹⁶ And as he hesitated, the men seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters -- Yahweh being merciful to him -- and led him out and left him outside the city.
¹⁷ When they had brought him outside, he was told, 'Flee for your life. Do not look behind you or stop anywhere on the plain. Flee to the hills or you will be swept away.'
¹⁸ 'Oh no, my lord!' Lot said to them,
¹⁹ 'You have already been very good to your servant and shown me even greater love by saving my life, but I cannot flee to the hills, or disaster will overtake me and I shall die.
²⁰ That town over there is near enough to flee to, and is small. Let me flee there-after all it is only a small place -- and so survive.'
²¹ He replied, 'I grant you this favour too, and will not overthrow the town you speak of.
²² Hurry, flee to that one, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.' That is why the town is named Zoar.
²³ The sun rose over the horizon just as Lot was entering Zoar.
²⁴ Then Yahweh rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire of his own sending.
²⁵ He overthrew those cities and the whole plain, with all the people living in the cities and everything that grew there.
²⁶ But Lot's wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
²⁷ Next morning, Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood before Yahweh,
²⁸ and looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole area of the plain, he saw the smoke rising from the ground like smoke from a furnace.
²⁹ Thus it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he did not forget Abraham and he rescued Lot from the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities where Lot was living.

Psalms 26:2-3, 9-10, 11-12 

² Probe me, Yahweh, examine me, Test my heart and my mind in the fire.
³ For your faithful love is before my eyes, and I live my life by your truth.
⁹ Do not couple me with sinners, nor my life with men of violence,
¹⁰ whose hands are stained with guilt, their right hands heavy with bribes.
¹¹ In innocence I will go on my way; ransom me, take pity on me.
¹² I take my stand on the right path; I will bless you, Yahweh, in the assemblies.

Mt 8:23-27

²³ Then he got into the boat followed by his disciples.
²⁴ Suddenly a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But he was asleep.
²⁵ So they went to him and woke him saying, 'Save us, Lord, we are lost!'
²⁶ And he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened, you who have so little faith?' And then he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
²⁷ They were astounded and said, 'Whatever kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?'

June 27, 2011 Gn 18:16- 33 Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11 Mt 8:18-22

Gn 18:16-33

¹⁶ From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them to speed them on their way.
¹⁷ Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,
¹⁸ as Abraham will become a great and powerful nation and all nations on earth will bless themselves by him?
¹⁹ For I have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'
²⁰ Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,
²¹ that I shall go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me would suggest. Then I shall know.'
²² While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.
²³ Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Will you really destroy the upright with the guilty?
²⁴ Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty upright in it?
²⁵ Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guilty fare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'
²⁶ Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place because of them.'
²⁷ Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust and ashes:
²⁸ Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' he replied, 'I shall not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'
²⁹ Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the forty.'
³⁰ Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord will not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'
³¹ He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'
³² He said, 'I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'
³³ When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.

Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11

[Of David] Bless Yahweh, my soul, from the depths of my being, his holy name; ² bless Yahweh, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness.
³ He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases,
⁴ he redeems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness;
⁸ Yahweh is tenderness and pity, slow to anger and rich in faithful love;
⁹ his indignation does not last for ever, nor his resentment remain for all time;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor repay us as befits our offences.
¹¹ As the height of heaven above earth, so strong is his faithful love for those who fear him.

Mt 8:18-22 

¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side.
¹⁹ One of the scribes then came up and said to him, 'Master, I will follow you wherever you go.'
²⁰ Jesus said, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.'
²¹ Another man, one of the disciples, said to him, 'Lord, let me go and bury my father first.'
²² But Jesus said, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.'

June 26, 2011 Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a 1 Psalms 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 Cor 10:16-17 Jn 6:51-58

Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a 

Remember the long road by which Yahweh your God led you for forty years in the desert, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart -- whether you would keep his commandments or not. ³ He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.
¹⁴ do not become proud of heart. Do not then forget Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the place of slave-labour,
¹⁵ who guided you through this vast and dreadful desert, a land of fiery snakes, scorpions, thirst;
¹⁶ who in this waterless place brought you water out of the flinty rock; who in this desert fed you with manna unknown to your ancestors, to humble you and test you and so make your future the happier.

Psalms 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

² for you have said: love is built to last for ever, you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.
³ 'I have made a covenant with my Chosen One, sworn an oath to my servant David:
¹⁶ In your name they rejoice all day long, by your saving justice they are raised up.
¹⁷ You are the flower of their strength, by your favour our strength is triumphant;
¹⁸ for to Yahweh belongs our shield, to the Holy One of Israel our king.
¹⁹ Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful you said: 'I have given strength to a warrior, I have raised up a man chosen from my people.

1 Cor 10:16-17 

¹⁶ The blessing-cup, which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ; and the loaf of bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
¹⁷ And as there is one loaf, so we, although there are many of us, are one single body, for we all share in the one loaf.

Jn 6:51-58 

⁵¹ I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.'
⁵² Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'
⁵³ Jesus replied to them: In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
⁵⁴ Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day.
⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person.
⁵⁷ As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me.
⁵⁸ This is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.

June 25, 2011 Gn 18:1-15 Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50, 53, 54-55 Mt 8:5-17

Gn 18:1-15

¹ Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day.
² He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground.
³ 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.
⁴ Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.
⁵ Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you have come in your servant's direction.' They replied, 'Do as you say.'
⁶ Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and make loaves.'
⁷ Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it.
⁸ Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.
⁹ 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.
¹⁰ Then his guest said, 'I shall come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.' Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods.
¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?'
¹³ But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?"
¹⁴ Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shall come back to you at the same time next year and Sarah will have a son.'
¹⁵ Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'

Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50, 53, 54-55 

⁴⁶ And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
⁴⁸ because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹ for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,
⁵⁰ and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him.
⁵³ He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love
⁵⁵ -according to the promise he made to our ancestors -- of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.  

Mt 8:5-17 

⁵ When he went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him.
⁶ 'Sir,' he said, 'my servant is lying at home paralysed and in great pain.'
⁷ Jesus said to him, 'I will come myself and cure him.'
⁸ The centurion replied, 'Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured.
⁹ For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man, "Go," and he goes; to another, "Come here," and he comes; to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.'
¹⁰ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, 'In truth I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found faith as great as this.
¹¹ And I tell you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of Heaven;
¹² but the children of the kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'
¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, 'Go back, then; let this be done for you, as your faith demands.' And the servant was cured at that moment.
¹⁴ And going into Peter's house Jesus found Peter's mother-in-law in bed and feverish.
¹⁵ He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.
¹⁶ That evening they brought him many who were possessed by devils. He drove out the spirits with a command and cured all who were sick.
¹⁷ This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He himself bore our sicknesses away and carried our diseases.

June 24, 2011 Jer 1:4-10 Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15 Lk 1:5-17 1 Pt 1:8-12

Jer 1:4-10

⁴ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying:
⁵ 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.'
⁶ I then said, 'Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!'
⁷ But Yahweh replied, 'Do not say, "I am only a child," for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.
⁸ Do not be afraid of confronting them, for I am with you to rescue you, Yahweh declares.'
⁹ Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: 'There! I have put my words into your mouth.
¹⁰ Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.' 

Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15 

 

¹ [For the choirmaster Of David Psalm] Yahweh, you examine me and know me,
² you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar.
³ You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct.
¹³ You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through,
¹⁵ my being held no secrets from you, when I was being formed in secret, textured in the depths of the earth.

Lk 1:5-17 

⁵ In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron.
⁶ Both were upright in the sight of God and impeccably carried out all the commandments and observances of the Lord.
⁷ But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years.
⁸ Now it happened that it was the turn of his section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God
⁹ when it fell to him by lot, as the priestly custom was, to enter the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense there.
¹⁰ And at the hour of incense all the people were outside, praying.
¹¹ Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.
¹² The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear.
¹³ But the angel said to him, 'Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you shall name him John.
¹⁴ He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth,
¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink; even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
¹⁶ and he will bring back many of the Israelites to the Lord their God.
¹⁷ With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to reconcile fathers to their children and the disobedient to the good sense of the upright, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.'

1 Pt 1:8-12 

⁸ You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described;
⁹ and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.
¹⁰ This salvation was the subject of the search and investigation of the prophets who spoke of the grace you were to receive,
¹¹ searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, was revealing the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow them.
¹² It was revealed to them that it was for your sake and not their own that they were acting as servants delivering the message which has now been announced to you by those who preached to you the gospel through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

june 23, 2011 Gn 16:1-12, 15-16 Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 Mt 7:21-29

Gn 16:1-12, 15-16

Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no child, but she had an Egyptian slave-girl called Hagar.

² So Sarai said to Abram, 'Listen, now! Since Yahweh has kept me from having children, go to my slave-girl. Perhaps I shall get children through her.' And Abram took Sarai's advice.
³ Thus, after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years, Sarai took Hagar her Egyptian slave-girl and gave her to Abram as his wife.
⁴ He went to Hagar and she conceived. And once she knew she had conceived, her mistress counted for nothing in her eyes.
⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, 'This outrage done to me is your fault! It was I who put my slave-girl into your arms but, now she knows that she has conceived, I count for nothing in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you!'
⁶ 'Very well,' Abram said to Sarai, 'your slave-girl is at your disposal. Treat her as you think fit.' Sarai accordingly treated her so badly that she ran away from her.
⁷ The angel of Yahweh found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur.
⁸ He said, 'Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?' 'I am running away from my mistress Sarai,' she replied.
⁹ The angel of Yahweh said to her, 'Go back to your mistress and submit to her.'
¹⁰ The angel of Yahweh further said to her, 'I shall make your descendants too numerous to be counted.'
¹¹ Then the angel of Yahweh said to her: Now, you have conceived and will bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for Yahweh has heard your cries of distress.
¹² A wild donkey of a man he will be, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him, living his life in defiance of all his kinsmen.
¹⁵ Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave his son borne by Hagar the name Ishmael.
¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

¹² Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem, Zion, praise your God.
¹³ For he gives strength to the bars of your gates, he blesses your children within you,
¹⁴ he maintains the peace of your frontiers, gives you your fill of finest wheat.
¹⁵ He sends his word to the earth, his command runs quickly,
¹⁹ He reveals his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel.
²⁰ For no other nation has he done this, no other has known his judgements.

Mt 7:21-29 

²¹ 'It is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.
²² When the day comes many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?"
²³ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, all evil doers!
²⁴ 'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.
²⁵ Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.
²⁶ But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand.
²⁷ Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!'
²⁸ Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people
²⁹ because he taught them with authority, unlike their own scribes.

 Lord, pls tell us your will. bless our union (Rene and Cherubim) that we will prosper and be abundant in your Holy name. May you let us build our foundation on a rock just like the sensible man in the parable. 

we always love you, Jesus Christ. We may continue to serve and love your people the way you have loved them. Amen.

june 22, 2011 Gn 15:1-12, 17- 18 Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 Mt 7:15-20

Gn 15:1-12, 17-18 

¹ Some time later, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram! I am your shield and shall give you a very great reward.
² 'Lord Yahweh,' Abram replied, 'what use are your gifts, as I am going on my way childless? . . .
³ Since you have given me no offspring,' Abram continued, 'a member of my household will be my heir.'
⁴ Then Yahweh's word came to him in reply, 'Such a one will not be your heir; no, your heir will be the issue of your own body.'
⁵ Then taking him outside, he said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be,' he told him.
⁶ Abram put his faith in Yahweh and this was reckoned to him as uprightness.
⁷ He then said to him, 'I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldaeans to give you this country as your possession.'
⁸ 'Lord Yahweh,' Abram replied, 'how can I know that I shall possess it?'
⁹ He said to him, 'Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.'
¹⁰ He brought him all these, split the animals down the middle and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.
¹¹ And whenever birds of prey swooped down on the carcases, Abram drove them off.
¹² Now, as the sun was on the point of setting, a trance fell on Abram, and a deep dark dread descended on him.
¹⁷ When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passing between the animals' pieces.
¹⁸ That day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram in these terms: 'To your descendants I give this country, from the River of Egypt to the Great River, the River Euphrates, 

Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

¹ Alleluia! Give thanks to Yahweh, call on his name, proclaim his deeds to the peoples!
² Sing to him, make music for him, recount all his wonders!
³ Glory in his holy name, let the hearts that seek Yahweh rejoice!
⁴ Seek Yahweh and his strength, tirelessly seek his presence!
⁶ Stock of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob whom he chose!
⁷ He is Yahweh our God, his judgements touch the whole world.
⁸ He remembers his covenant for ever, the promise he laid down for a thousand generations,
⁹ which he concluded with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

Mt 7:15-20 

¹⁵ 'Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves.
¹⁶ You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
¹⁷ In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit.
¹⁸ A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit.
¹⁹ Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire.
²⁰ I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.

june 21, 2011 Gn 13:2, 5-18 Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5 Mt 7:6, 12-14

Gn 13:2, 5-18

² Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold.
⁵ Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had flocks and cattle of his own, and tents too.
⁶ The land was not sufficient to accommodate them both at once, for they had too many possessions to be able to live together.
⁷ Dispute broke out between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and those of Lot. (The Canaanites and Perizzites were living in the country at the time.)
⁸ Accordingly Abram said to Lot, 'We do not want discord between us or between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.
⁹ Is not the whole land open before you? Go in the opposite direction to me: if you take the left, I shall go right; if you take the right, I shall go left.'
¹⁰ Looking round, Lot saw all the Jordan plain, irrigated everywhere -- this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-like the garden of Yahweh or the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar.
¹¹ So Lot chose all the Jordan plain for himself and moved off eastwards. Thus they parted company:
¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan; Lot settled among the cities of the plain, pitching his tents on the outskirts of Sodom.
¹³ Now the people of Sodom were vicious and great sinners against Yahweh.
¹⁴ Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had parted company from him, 'Look all round from where you are, to north and south, to east and west,
¹⁵ for all the land within sight I shall give to you and your descendants for ever.
¹⁶ I shall make your descendants like the dust on the ground; when people succeed in counting the specks of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants too!
¹⁷ On your feet! Travel the length and breadth of the country, for I mean to give it to you.'
¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to settle at the Oak of Mamre, at Hebron, and there he built an altar to Yahweh.

Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

² Whoever lives blamelessly, who acts uprightly, who speaks the truth from the heart,
³ who keeps the tongue under control, who does not wrong a comrade, who casts no discredit on a neighbour,
⁴ who looks with scorn on the vile, but honours those who fear Yahweh, who stands by an oath at any cost,
⁵ who asks no interest on loans, who takes no bribe to harm the innocent. No one who so acts can ever be shaken. 

Mt 7:6, 12-14 

⁶ 'Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.
¹² 'So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the Law and the Prophets.
¹³ 'Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it;
¹⁴ but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

june 20, 2011 Gn 12:1-9 Psalms 33:12-13, 18-19, 20, 22 Mt 7:1-5

Gn 12:1-9

Yahweh said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your kindred and your father's house for a country which I shall show you; ² and I shall make you a great nation, I shall bless you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing!
³ I shall bless those who bless you, and shall curse those who curse you, and all clans on earth will bless themselves by you.'
⁴ So Abram went as Yahweh told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
⁵ Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there.
⁶ Abram passed through the country as far as the holy place at Shechem, the Oak of Moreh. The Canaanites were in the country at the time.
⁷ Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, 'I shall give this country to your progeny.' And there, Abram built an altar to Yahweh who had appeared to him.
⁸ From there he moved on to the mountainous district east of Bethel, where he pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and invoked the name of Yahweh.
⁹ Then Abram made his way stage by stage to the Negeb.

Psalms 33:12-13, 18-19, 20, 22 

¹² How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people he has chosen as his heritage.
¹³ From heaven Yahweh looks down, he sees all the children of Adam,
¹⁸ But see how Yahweh watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his faithful love,
¹⁹ to rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine.
²⁰ We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield,
²² Yahweh, let your faithful love rest on us, as our hope has rested in you.

Mt 7:1-5 

¹ 'Do not judge, and you will not be judged;
² because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the standard you use will be the standard used for you.
³ Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the great log in your own?
⁴ And how dare you say to your brother, "Let me take that splinter out of your eye," when, look, there is a great log in your own?
⁵ Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother's eye.

june 19, 2011 ex 34:4-9 Dn 3:52-56 2cor 13:11-13 jn 3:16-18

ex 34:4-9 the second set of stone tablets
so moses but two more stone tablets, and early the next morning he carried them up mount sinai, just as the Lord had commanded.
the Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and pronounced his holy name, the Lord. the Lord then passed in front of him and called out, "i the Lord, am a God who is full of compassion and pity, who is not easily angered and who shows great love and faithfulness. i keep my promise for thousands of generations and forgive evil and sin; but i will not fail top punish children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their parents.
 moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped. he said, "Lord, if you really are pleased with me, i ask you to go with us. these people are stubborn, but forgive our evil and our sin, and accept us as your own people.
Dn 3:52-56 daniel's friends are sentenced to death
" didn't we tie up three men and throw them in to the blazing furnace?"
they answered, "yes, we did, your majesty," "then why do i see four men walking around in the fire?" he asked "they are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt - and the fourth one looks like an angel".
2cor 13:11-13 final warnings and greetings
and now, my brothers, goodbye! strive for perfection; listen to my appeals; agree with one another; live in peace. and the God of love and peace will be with you.
greet one another with a brotherly kiss.
all of God's people send you their greetings. the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
jn 3:16-18 Jesus and nicodemus
whoever believes in the Son is not judged; but whoever does not believe he has already been judged,because he has not believed in God's only Son. this how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. anyone who does evil things hates the light, because he does not want his evil deeds to be shown up. but whoever does what is true comes to the light in order that the light may show that what he did was in obedience to God.

june 18, 2011 2cor 12:1-10 Ps 34:8-13 Mt. 6:24-34

2cor 12:1-10 Paul's visions and revelations
i have to boast, even though it doesn't do any good. but i will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord. I know a certain christian man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the highest heaven (i do not know whether this actually happened or whether he had a vision - only God knows). I repeat, i know tht htis man was snatched to paradise (again, i do not know whether this actually happened or whether ut was a vision- only God knowa), and there he heard things which cannot be put into words, things that himan lips mau not speak. so i will boast about this man - but i will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak i am.if i wanted to boast, i would not be a fool, because i would be telling the truth. but i will not boast, because i do not want anyone to have a high opinion of me than he has a reslult of what he has seen me do and heard me say. but to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things i saw, i was given a painful physical ailment which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. three times i prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. but his answer was "my grace is all you need,for my power is greatest when you are weak." i am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. i am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships and difficulties for Christ sake. for when i am weak, then i am strong.
 Ps 34:8-13 in praise of God's goodness
Find out for yourself how good the Lord is
Happy are those who find safety with him. honor the Lord, all his people; those who obey him have all they need. Even lions go hungry for lack of food, but those who obey the Lord lack nothing good.
come, my young friends, and listen to me, and i will teach you to honor the Lord. would you like to enjoy life? do you want long life and happiness? then keep from speaking evil and from telling lies.
Mt. 6:24-34 God and possesions
 "no one can be a slave of two masters, he will hate one and love the other, he will be loyal to one and despise the other. you cannot serve both God and money.
this is why i tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. after all, isn't life worth more than food? and isn't the body worth more than clothes? look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your father in heaven takes care of them! aren;t you worth much more than birds? can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
and why worry about clothes? look how wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. but i tell you that even king solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. it is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? what little faith you have.
so do not start worrying:where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? (these are the things the pagans are always concerned about). your father in heaven knows that you need all these things. instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. so have enough worries of its own. there is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

june 17, 2011 2cor 11:18-30, Ps 34:2-7, Mt. 6:19-23

2cor 11:18-30 Paul's suffering as an apostle
 but since there are so many who boast for merely human reasons, i will do the same. you yourselves are so wise and so you gladly tolerate fools. you tolerate anyone who orders you around or takes advantage of you or traps you or looks down on you or slaps you in the face. i am ashamed to admit we were too timid to do those things!
but if anyone dares to boast about somehting - i am talking like a fool - i will be just as daring. if i must boast, i will boast about things that show how weak i am. the God and Father of Lord Jesus - blessed  be his name for ever! - knows that i am not lying.
Ps 34:2-7  in praise of God's goodness
i will praise him for what he has done;
may all who are oppressed listen and be glad!
proclaim with me the Lord's greatness;
let us praise his name together!
i prayed to the Lord, and he answered me;
he freed me from all my fears.
the oppressed look to him and are glad;
they will never be disappointed.
the helpless call to him, and he answers;
he saves them from all their troubles.
his angel guards those who honor the Lord and rescues them from danger.
Mt. 6: 19-23 riches in heaven
"do not store up in riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. for your heart will always be where your riches are.
the eyes are like a lamp for the body. if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light. but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. so if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be.

june 15, 2011 2cor 9:6-11, Ps 112:1-9, Mt 6:1-18

2cor 9:6-11 help to fellow christians
remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop;the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop.each one should give, then ,as he has decided not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. and God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. as the scripture says, " He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever. " and God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all time, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.
Ps 112:1-9 the happiness of a good person
praise the Lord! happy is the person who honors the Lord, who takes pleasure in obeying his commands.
the good man's children will be powerful in the land; his family will be wealthy and rich; and he will be prosperous forever/ light shines in the darkness for good men, for those who are merciful, kind, and just. happy is the person who is generous with his loans, who runs his business honesty. a good person will never fail; he will always be remembered.
he is not afraid of receiving bad news; his faith is strong, and he trusts in the Lord. he is not worried or afraid; he is certain to see his enemies defeated. he gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be powerful and respected.
Mt. 6 1:1-18 teaching about charity
"make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. if you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heven.
when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets, they do it so that people will praise them. i assure youm they have paid in full. but when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. then it will be a private matter. and your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
when you pray, do not be like the hyocrites! they love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. i assure you, they have already been paid in full. but when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. and your father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
when you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. do not be like them. your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.if you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your father in heaven will also forgive you. but if you do not forgive others, then your father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.

june 14,2011 2 cor 8:1-9, Ps 146:2-9, Mt 5:34-48

2 cor 8:1-9 christian giving
they have been severely tested by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they were very poor. I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could.
so we urged titus, who began this work, to continue it and help you complete this special service of love. You are so rich in all you have:in faith,speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us. and so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.
i am not laying down any rules. but by showing how eager others are to help, i am trying to find out how real your own love is.you know the grace of our lord Jesus Christ;rich as he was,he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.
Ps 146:2-9 in praise of God the Savior
i will praise him as long as i live; i will sing to my god all my life.happy is the man who has the God of jacob to help him and who depends on the lord his God the creator of heaven,earth and sea and all that is in them.
he always keeps his promises.
Mt 5:34-48
but now i tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne;nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. do not even swear by your head,because you cannot make a single hair white or black. just say yes or no - anything else you say comes from the evil one.
you have heard that it it was said, "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. but now i tell you:do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. and if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. and if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. when someone asks you for something,give it to him;when someone wants to borrow something;lend it to him.
you have heard that it was said, "love your friends,hate your enemies". but now i tell you:love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become sons of your father in heaven.for he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you?