One Walk

Dear Lord God,  "Let us beset the just one, because he is inconvenient to us." Today’s readings reminds me of what I must expect if I walk with Christ, for as the world viewed and judged Him, so shall those of the world view us. I use parts from booth translations because I think ‘inconvenient’ is a better description for today’s times; but we must believe, accept and understand that we who seek Jesus’ image are not of this world. Under the sun they hated, insulted, tortured and crucified Him, unable to understand, unwilling to try. One could say, the world sees through ‘eyes of doubt’, while we see with ‘eyes of faith’. Faith that leads to hope, and hope that leads to love; love for Him and through and in our love for Him we must learn to release what He gives to us; the love that He through His passion gave for us, we must give to others. Lord Jesus help me to learn to love as You do. To see with "eyes of faith’ understanding that we are just visitors under the sun. In Your Holy name I pray, Amen.

Frequent and daily Communion is greatly desired by our Lord and the Church.

— Pope St. Pius X

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22

1 For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, "Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades. 12 "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. 14 He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; 15 the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. 16 We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. 17 Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; 18 for if the righteous man is God’s son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. 19 Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected." 21 Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, 22 and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls;

Bible Study: [12-20] Often applied to the Passion of our Lord; many have understood these verses as a direct prophecy. Cf Matthew 27:41-44

Psalm 34:17-21, 23

17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Bible Study: [Psalm 34] Of David. A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Psalm 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Psalm 34:5-11) and give them protection (Psalm 34:12-22).

John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." 30 So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

Bible Study: [26] The authorities: the members of the Sanhedrin (same term as John 3:1).

Now my daily readings are posted to my blog at http://raagroup.blogspot.com/

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Dear Lord God, in today’s readings Your theme is a consistent reminder of our fallen nature, a nature that rejects You by refusing to do what we believe and trying to replace You with other more convenient and accommodating images of a god that servers his people as we see fit, rather than a people that server their God the way He commands them to. O Lord thank You for opening my heart, mind and soul to the truths of Jesus; that of renouncing myself and for continuing to teach and share with me what and how I am to replace my own senses, passions and will – all that is sinfully natural to me under the sun with that which is of You, pure, selfless, humble, giving and serving. You never told us tat seeking Your image would be easy, You blessed me wit men in my path like Pastor McCord that clearly and boldly said it would not, but You have given me the means and the ways to do my part and You walk with and in me; it is my task to continue to be less of me and more of You. So that is my prayer today, for me, for my love ones, for all those who You but in my path, help us to keep taking each step as if it was the first step a step of renouncement of ourselves for acceptance of You, Your will, Your purpose. O Lord for the sake of my Lords sorrowful passion, have mercy on me and on the whole world. Amen.

The first step to be taken by one who wishes to follow Christ is, according to Our Lord’s own words, that of renouncing himself – that is, his own senses, his own passions, his own will, his own judgment, and all the movements of nature, making to God a sacrifice of all these things, and of all their acts, which are surely sacrifices very acceptable to the Lord. And we must never grow weary of this; for if anyone having, so to speak, one foot already in Heaven, should abandon this exercise, when the time should come for him to put the other there, he would run much risk of being lost.

— St. Vincent de Paul

Exodus 32:7-14

7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; 8 they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, `These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'” 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; 10 now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will make a great nation.” 11 But Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does thy wrath burn hot against thy people, whom thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, `With evil intent did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self, and didst say to them, `I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.'” 14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people.

Psalm 106:19-23

19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image. 20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore he said he would destroy them — had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

Bible Study: [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Psalm 106:1-3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Psalm 106:4-5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Psalm 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. The sins are the rebellion at the Red Sea (Psalm 106:6-12; see Exodus 14-15), the craving for meat in the desert (Psalm 106:13-15; see Numbers 11), the challenge to Moses’ authority (Psalm 106:16-18; see Numbers 16), the golden calf episode (Psalm 106:19-23; see Exodus 32-34), the refusal to take Canaan by the southern route (Psalm 106:24-27; see Numbers 13-14 and Deut 1-2), the rebellion at Baal-Peor (Psalm 106:28-31; see Numbers 25:1-10), the anger of Moses (Psalm 106:32-33; see Numbers 20:1-13), and mingling with the nations (Psalm 106:34-47). The last, as suggested by its length and generalized language, may be the sin that invites the repentance of the present generation. The text gives the site of each sin: Egypt (Psalm 106:7), the desert (Psalm 106:14), the camp (Psalm 106:16), Horeb (Psalm 106:19), in their tents (Psalm 106:25), Baal-Peor (Psalm 106:28), the waters of Meribah (Psalm 106:32), Canaan (Psalm 106:38).

John 5:31-47

31 If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; 32 there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from men. 42 But I know that you have not the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

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02/25/07

Dear Lord God, Father, look upon our weakness and reach out to help us with your loving power. For unlike Jesus I sinned in what I have chosen to think, say and do as well in what I have chosen not to do; and if not for the love sacrifice and passion of Jesus, I would be dead to this sin, but instead as with Jesus I am able to rise again. And though I may die to myself 100 times a day, I rise again because Jesus loved me before I chose to love him. But now I chose to walk in His light, to follow Him, to honor Him, to praise and worship Him. For I know with Him in my life I am nothing. All I have and do I have because of Jesus and for Jesus. So help me to keep a straight and narrow path, grant me the courage, strengthen, knowledge and wisdom to accomplish all I seek for My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grant this in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

To be perfect in our vocation is nothing else than to fulfill the duties which our state of life obliges us to perform, and to accomplish them well, and only for the honor and love of God.

— St. Francis de Sales

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 “And you shall make response before the LORD your God, `A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression; 8 and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O LORD, hast given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God;

Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, 2 will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” 10 no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. 14 Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.

Romans 10:8-13

8 But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); 9 because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. 13 For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Luke 4:1-13

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone.'” 5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ 11 and `On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

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Dear Lord God, today’s scripture and study leads me to cry out for help. For I know when You say “Follow me”, You mean leave everything behind, and as Luke explains this means a complete detachment from material possessions. Not in the literal since but spiritual; so that as You freed me from sin, You can free me from the grasp of the earthly ways under the sun which bind me and make me a slave to earthly ways, and ways of the ruthless, not the ways I seek or those I seek. For I know it is Your way that I desire, but I need your loving care to guide the penance I have begun. Help me to persevere with love and sincerity and to not let the ways of the ruthless or the vices of material processions enslave me. ‘Incline thy ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God; be gracious to me, O Lord, for to thee do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. Your love for me is great; you have rescued me from the depths of Sheol. O God, the arrogant have risen against me; a ruthless band has sought my life; to you they pay no heed. But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, most loving and true. Turn to me, have pity on me; give your strength to your servant; save this child of your handmaid. Give me a sign of your favor: make my enemies see, to their confusion, that you, LORD, help and comfort me. (Psalm 86:1-17)’. Grant this for me and all those You read this and ask for You help today through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

We must give alms. Charity wins souls and draws them to virtue.

— St. Angela Merici

Isaiah 58:9-14

9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. “If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. 12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. 13 “If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Bible Study: [2-14] Merely external worship does not avail with God; it must be joined to internal sincerity.

Psalm 86:1-6

1 Incline thy ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God; 3 be gracious to me, O Lord, for to thee do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication.

Bible Study: A prayer of David. [Psalm 86] An individual lament. The psalmist, “poor and oppressed” (Psalm 86:1), “devoted” (Psalm 86:2), “your servant” (Psalm 86:2, 4, 16), “rescued from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:13), attacked by the ruthless (14), desires only God’s protection (Psalm 86:1-7, 11-17).

Luke 5:27-32

27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Bible Study: They left everything: in Mark 1:16-20 and Matthew 4:18-22 the fishermen who follow Jesus leave their nets and their father; in Luke, they leave everything (see also Luke 5:28; 12:33; 14:33; 18:22), an indication of Luke’s theme of complete detachment from material possessions.

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