Let us not miss Jesus when he comes now
November 29, 2010
Monday of the First Week of Advent
Monday of the First Week of Advent
On that day,
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors ofIsrael
He who remains inZion
and he who is left inJerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life inJerusalem
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
a smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of
He who remains in
and he who is left in
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
a smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
This prophecy is not for some future date. It is for now. We must welcome Jesus into our lives today. He must be our healer today. We must experience the Lord’s closeness today. Then he can destroy our sinfulness. If he is with us he protects us from all harm and danger and we flourish ‘like the cedar of Lebanon’..
Responsorial Psalm
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Gospel
When Jesus entered Capernaum
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one inIsrael
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Advent is not a time just to remember. The One foretold has come. We look forward to his triumphant coming and our salvation by him. But we must not forget, ‘the One to come is here already’. He stands in our midst though we cannot see him and often do not recognize him. We too need to approach him. We too are paralyzed. We too are not worthy, but only he can heal us. His love overlooks our sinfulness. He has come to save the lost and each of us is lost without him. Advent is a new call to come to Jesus in faith and trust. This pagan centurion is our model. Don’t miss the opportunity. Learn to meet him daily like the centurion. Sit at his feet in prayer. Realize he is present. By your faith allow him to heal you. What is your response to Advent’s call?
November 30, 2010
Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
and their words to the ends of the world.
Jesus is the one who gives life, God’s life to men and women. There is nothing greater than that and he is the only one who can and does give it. He offers us his friendship, his peace, his joy and he pours the love of God into our hearts through the Holy Spirit so that we can call God our Father. To introduce Jesus to someone is to give them Good News. Those who bring Jesus to people through word and deed are the blessed of God. we are to do this first by believing in our hearts, that is by a total consecration to Jesus in love, then by revealing him by our lives. The Word of God must flow from our life.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
Gospel
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee , he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Andrew is mentioned several times in the Gospel. Here he drops everything and follows Jesus. He needs to grow but he stays with Jesus throughout and this is the key. If we stay with Jesus in prayer he will make up for our weaknesses and failings. Like him we need to have a living relationship with Jesus. In John’s Gospel Andrew he is a disciple of John the Baptist , discovers Jesus and then he finds his brother and tells him, “We have found the Messiah”. Have you? Who have you told? Andrew is the one who tells Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes and he is the one who brings the Greeks to Jesus. Andrew was an ordinary person who found greatness by his union with Jesus. All who are close to Jesus will become great. He calls you as he called him. How do you respond?
1st Week of Advent – Tues Isa 11:1-10 Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 [no bibl. ref.] A shoot will spring from the stock of Jesse, a new shoot will grow from his roots. 2 On him will rest the spirit of Yahweh, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh: 3 his inspiration will lie in fearing Yahweh. His judgement will not be by appearances. his verdict not given on hearsay. 4 He will judge the weak with integrity and give fair sentence for the humblest in the land. He will strike the country with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips bring death to the wicked. 5 Uprightness will be the belt around his waist, and constancy the belt about his hips. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the panther lie down with the kid, calf, lion and fat-stock beast together, with a little boy to lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like the ox. 8 The infant will play over the den of the adder; the baby will put his hand into the viper's lair. 9 No hurt, no harm will be done on all my holy mountain, for the country will be full of knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea. 10 That day, the root of Jesse, standing as a signal for the peoples, will be sought out by the nations and its home will be glorious.
Jesus has come from the heart of the human race just like you and I. He is truly human with all the emotional, intellectual, spiritual and physical qualities that go with being human. But he is the true human being, the perfect and exemplary model. In him humanity is found without the defects which we all have and exhibit. On him rests ‘the spirit of Yahweh’ – a human being filled with God’s Spirit, which is something the Father wants for all human beings. God will also work this out through Jesus and when the work is complete we will enjoy a human life which is beyond our imagination or dreams. Advent tells us that God is working out his plan and one day we will experience it through the One he sends, Jesus. Hope is the hall-mark of Advent.
Ps. 72:1-2
God, endow the king with your own fair judgement, the son of the king with your own saving justice, 2 that he may rule your people with justice, and your poor with fair judgement.
Luke 10:21-24
Just at this time, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it has pleased you to do. 22 Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.' 23 Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them by themselves, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.'
The book of Wisdom says that the whole universe before God is no more than a grain of sand on the scales. Then what of a human being? How can even the greatest genius understand God? God is not pleased with those who think they are great and intelligent. “He puts down the proud in the conceit of their hearts’ and ‘exalts the humble’. To them he reveals the secrets of his heart. To them he reveals his Son. The humbler we are before God – acknowledging the truth about ourselves – the more he is able to reveal himself to us. Advent is a call to realize our nothingness before God, not to grovel, but to allow him let his love have full sway in us. He will fill us with knowledge of himself “as the waters cover the sea”. Can you reflect with joy on your nothingness?
Reading
Sea of Galilee . His arm is no shorter today than it was then. He will enter our lives too as we surrender ourselves to his love to allow him do ‘mighty things’. As he fed the four thousand, he now feeds everyone who comes to him with Bread from Heaven, the Bread giving us eternal life. What is Jesus for you?
Reading
Reading Jerusalem by foreign armies with the prospect of famine, bloodshed and tragedy for the citizens of Jerusalem Jerusalem
Reading
December 1, 2010
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
The Bible holds out hope to us on every page. Advent is a time of looking forward in hope to the fulfillment of God’s plans which is he working out now. The starting point and the most fundamental point in all God’s plans that we have to remember and experience is that we have a Father who loves and cares for us as his dear children. We need to know this not only with or brains but also with our feelings and emotions. One day his plans now thwarted by evil and sin and our wayward free wills will one day triumph. But the closer we can get to him now the more he is able to fill us with his peace. “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
Gospel
At that time:
Jesus walked by theSea of Galilee ,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God ofIsrael
Jesus walked by the
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of
Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
When we read of suffering people coming to Jesus we may ask ourselves ‘what of today? Does Jesus do it today?’ His heart is still moved with pity. Our sufferings are his sufferings. This is the meaning of his love for us. One day he will wipe away every tear and now, as he was strengthened in his agony, he strengthens us to bear the tragedies of life. We need to approach him in prayer with the trust of those who came to him in their distress by the “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
December 2, 2010
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
Thursday of the First Week of Advent
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
We are called to trust in the Lord Jesus. We are to rely on him. Since it is in the darkness of faith, it is difficult. Isaiah however exhorts us to make him the rock ofour life. We may be weak but he will make us strong if we can have total trust in him.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
Mt 7:21, 24-27
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
The rock on which we are to build our life is our trust in Jesus. To do the will of God the Father is to believe in the One he sent. We must accept his Word and put our total trust in him. Trials and tragedies will happen in our lives but if our life is built on our deep friendship with Jesus and the guidance of his Word that comes to us through his Church Community then our lives will flourish. Those who abandon him and do not live their lives according to his Word are heading for ruin. Advent is a call to come closer to Jesus than we have done in the past. It is a call to listen to his Word daily and build our decisions and lives on it. Are you going to take practical steps to grow deeper n your relationship with him?will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
December 3, 2010
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest
Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, priest
Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
andLebanon
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One ofIsrael
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God ofIsrael
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
This passage was written at the time of the impending siege of But a very little while,
and
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
Gospel
As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
We need to believe in the actual presence of Jesus, as someone who is real and desirous of being our friend, Saviour and Lord. Through the Holy Spirit the more we can realize this the more he will be able to open our eyes to see a new reality even now. We will then realize that our lives are in his hands. We will know that he is our companion in every event of our lives and we will experience his closeness. We will grow to live more consciously with him. In the midst of all the affairs of life with their hardships and tragedies, we will experience the assurance of his presence. Our life will eventually turn out well and we will look back and see his hand at work. Advent encourages us to get closer to him. Will Christmas be more than just a festivity for you?“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.
December 4, 2010
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One ofIsrael :
O people ofZion , who dwell in Jerusalem
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
the Holy One of
O people of
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
This prophecy concerns the historical deliverance of Jerusalem
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuildsJerusalem ;
the dispersed ofIsrael
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds
the dispersed of
Gospel
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house ofIsrael
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Who ever they are, if Jesus is not really present to them then they are like sheep without a shepherd. He alone is the answer to all the problems of life. We are to be filled with his Spirit and minister to one another in our needs. We are to become Christ to one another. Life is to be life of living faith and through our faith we make Christ Jesus present to one another. We are to remember the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. Those who believe in me will do the same kind of works that I do. They will do even greater works because I am going to the Father. We let our brothers and sisters down when we are not filled with the Spirit and do not continue the work of Jesus. Is your religion is a religion of power in love for others? “Go to the lost sheep of the house of
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
