From sanctus.org, wapedia.com and higherthings.org:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: St. Agnes, Martyr
Scriptural Readings:
January 21st, 2011
Friday of Epiphany 2
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
January 21, 2011 - Friday of the Second Week after the Epiphany
Today's Reading: Romans 12:6-16
Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20; Romans 10:1-21
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; (Romans 12:10)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Now there's a tall order! Give preference to one another? That means putting others ahead of you. How's that going for you? Are you quick to let another person ahead of you when there's a wait? Do you let others choose the place to eat this time? Do you compliment others rather than brag about yourself? St. Paul's words here are a reminder that our biggest problem is selfishness. We want to be the top dog. We don't like it when others eclipse our attention.
Jesus came because we love ourselves. He loved us more than Himself when He went to the cross in our place. He was more concerned about being obedient to His Father than worrying about what He wanted. It's that perfect obedience and holy suffering and death that save us from our selfish selves.
Now, baptized into Christ, the Lord has given you His Holy Spirit so that you can learn to do the same for others. To put them ahead of you. To treat them as being more important than you. Yes, it's crazy in the eyes of the world. The world says your life is all about you and getting what you can, no matter if you have to step on others.
The Christian faith is much different. Here we learn that we have a Savior who has put us first and a Spirit who teaches us to do the same for others. And our doing so isn't some grab at eternal life, as if we're going to put others first just to get something out of it ourselves! No, we learn a genuine love for those around us by treating them as if they are better than us. It doesn't mean being down on yourself. It means Christ living in you to demonstrate to others the type of love that He has: a love that doesn't seek to please itself, but to help others.
St. Paul calls us to exercise brotherly love toward others. After all, it is the love of our big Brother, Jesus Christ, which has brought us back to the Father and secured for us eternal life. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
O grant that nothing in my soul May dwell, but Thy pure love alone; Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; My ev'ry act, word, thought be love. (LSB 683:2)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Joel 1:1-20
1The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:
An Invasion of Locusts
2(A) Hear this,(B) you elders;
give ear,(C) all inhabitants of the land!Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers? 3(D) Tell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.
4What(E) the cutting locust left,
(F) the swarming locust has eaten.What the swarming locust left,
(G) the hopping locust has eaten,and what the hopping locust left,
(H) the destroying locust has eaten.
5Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and(I) wail, all you drinkers of wine,because of(J) the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth. 6For(K) a nation has come up against my land,
(L) powerful and beyond number;its teeth are lions’ teeth,
and it has the fangs of a lioness. 7It has laid waste my vine
and splintered my(M) fig tree;it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
their branches are made white.
8Lament like a virgin[a](N) wearing sackcloth
for the bridegroom of her youth. 9(O) The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
from the house of the LORD.(P) The priests mourn,
the ministers of the LORD. 10The fields are destroyed,
(Q) the ground mourns,because(R) the grain is destroyed,
the wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
11(S) Be ashamed,[b] O tillers of the soil;
wail, O vinedressers,for the wheat and the barley,
(T) because the harvest of the field has perished. 12The vine dries up;
(U) the fig tree languishes.Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
all the trees of the field are dried up,and(V) gladness dries up
from the children of man.
A Call to Repentance
13(W) Put on sackcloth and lament,(X) O priests;
(Y) wail, O ministers of the altar.Go in,(Z) pass the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!Because grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
14(AA) Consecrate a fast;
(AB) call a solemn assembly.Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the landto the house of the LORD your God,
and cry out to the LORD.
15Alas for the day!(AC) For the day of the LORD is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty[c] it comes. 16Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,(AD) joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
17(AE) The seed shrivels under the clods;[d]
the storehouses are desolate;the granaries are torn down
because(AF) the grain has dried up. 18How(AG) the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexedbecause there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.[e]
19To you,(AH) O LORD, I call.(AI) For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,and flame has burned
all the trees of the field. 20Even the beasts of the field(AJ) pant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,(AK) and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
Footnotes:Joel 1:8 Or young woman Joel 1:11 The Hebrew words for dry up and be ashamed in verses 10-12, 17 sound alike Joel 1:15 Destruction sounds like the Hebrew for Almighty Joel 1:17 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain Joel 1:18 Or are made desolate
Cross references:Joel 1:2 : Hos 5:1 Joel 1:2 : Joel 1:14 Joel 1:2 : Joel 2:2 Joel 1:3 : Psalm 78:4 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Amos 4:9 Joel 1:4 : Amos 7:1; Exodus 10:4 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Psalm 105:34; Nah 3:15 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Psalm 78:46 Joel 1:5 : Isa 24:11 Joel 1:5 : Joel 3:18; Isa 49:26; Amos 9:13 Joel 1:6 : Joel 2:2 Joel 1:6 : Rev 9:7, 8 Joel 1:7 : Joel 1:12 Joel 1:8 : Joel 1:13; 2 Sam 3:31 Joel 1:9 : Joel 1:13; Joel 2:14 Joel 1:9 : Joel 2:17; Isa 61:6; Ezek 45:4 Joel 1:10 : Hos 4:3 Joel 1:10 : Hos 2:9 Joel 1:11 : Jer 14:4 Joel 1:11 : Joel 1:17 Joel 1:12 : Joel 1:7 Joel 1:12 : Isa 24:11; Jer 48:33 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:8; Jer 4:8 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:9 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:8; Mic 1:8 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:9; Joel 2:14 Joel 1:14 : Joel 2:15, 16; 2 Chr 20:3 Joel 1:14 : Joel 1:2 Joel 1:15 : Joel 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Isa 13:6, 9; Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:2, 3; Amos 5:18; Obad 15; Zeph 1:14, 15; Zech 14:1; 2 Pet 3:10 Joel 1:16 : Deut 12:6, 7; 16:14, 15 Joel 1:17 : Mal 2:3 Joel 1:17 : Joel 1:11 Joel 1:18 : Joel 2:22; Jer 12:4; Hos 4:3 Joel 1:19 : Psalm 50:15 Joel 1:19 : Jer 9:10 Joel 1:20 : Job 38:41; Psalm 104:21; 145:15 Joel 1:20 : Joel 1:19
Second Reading: Rom. 10:1-21
1Brothers,[a] my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that(A) they have a zeal for God,(B) but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of(C) the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For(D) Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]
The Message of Salvation to All
5For(E) Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that(F) the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But(G) the righteousness based on faith says,(H) "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will descend into the(I) abyss?'" (that is,(J) to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?(K) "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if(L) you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and(M) believe in your heart(N) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says,(O) "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12(P) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;(Q) for the same Lord is Lord of all,(R) bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For(S) "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him(T) of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear(U) without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,(V) "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 16But(W) they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says,(X) "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" 17So(Y) faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
(Z) "Their voice has gone out(AA) to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world."
19But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
(AB) "I will(AC) make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a(AD) foolish nation I will make you angry."
20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
(AE) "I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."
21But of Israel he says,(AF) "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."
Footnotes:Romans 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters Romans 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified Romans 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard
Cross references:Romans 10:2 : Acts 21:20 Romans 10:2 : Romans 9:31 Romans 10:3 : Romans 1:17 Romans 10:4 : Matt 5:17; Gal 3:24 Romans 10:5 : Lev 18:5 Romans 10:5 : Neh 9:29; Ezek 20:11, 13, 21; Matt 19:17; Luke 10:28; Gal 3:12; Romans 7:10 Romans 10:6 : Romans 9:30 Romans 10:6 : Deut 30:12, 13 Romans 10:7 : Rev 9:1 Romans 10:7 : Heb 13:20 Romans 10:8 : Deut 30:14 Romans 10:9 : Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11 Romans 10:9 : Acts 16:31 Romans 10:9 : 1 Pet 1:21; Acts 2:24 Romans 10:11 : Romans 9:33 Romans 10:12 : Romans 3:22, 29 Romans 10:12 : Acts 10:36 Romans 10:12 : Romans 2:4 Romans 10:13 : Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32 Romans 10:14 : Eph 4:21; John 9:36; 17:20 Romans 10:14 : Acts 8:31; Titus 1:3 Romans 10:15 : Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; Eph 6:15 Romans 10:16 : Romans 3:3; Heb 4:2 Romans 10:16 : John 12:38; Isa 53:1 Romans 10:17 : Gal 3:2, 5 Romans 10:18 : Psalm 19:4; 1 Thess 1:8 Romans 10:18 : Mark 16:15; Matt 24:14 Romans 10:19 : Deut 32:21 Romans 10:19 : Romans 11:11, 14 Romans 10:19 : Titus 3:3 Romans 10:20 : Isa 65:1; Romans 9:30 Romans 10:21 : Isa 65:2
Friday Father Reading
"At the sacred Gathering, at the very time when the awful Mystery of the Eucharist is taking place, a horrible blasphemy may attack the Lord from impious thoughts, profaning the Sacrifice itself, from which we clearly understand that these unspeakable and accursed thoughts against God come not from our soul, but from the devil, God's enemy. For if these foul and evil words formed in the mind are mine, how can it be, having received the heavenly Gift, that I bow down and adore? For the one who is troubled by this spirit of blasphemy and longs to be delivered from it, let him know that thoughts of this kind spring not from his soul, but from that same impure devil who said to the Lord long ago, 'All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.' Let us, then, despise him and pay no attention at all to his fantasies, but say, 'Get behind me, Satan! I will worship the Lord, my God!'" [St. John Climacus. "23rd Step of the Ascent to Paradise." 6th Century]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: St. Agnes, Martyr
Scriptural Readings:
January 21st, 2011
Friday of Epiphany 2
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
January 21, 2011 - Friday of the Second Week after the Epiphany
Today's Reading: Romans 12:6-16
Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20; Romans 10:1-21
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; (Romans 12:10)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Now there's a tall order! Give preference to one another? That means putting others ahead of you. How's that going for you? Are you quick to let another person ahead of you when there's a wait? Do you let others choose the place to eat this time? Do you compliment others rather than brag about yourself? St. Paul's words here are a reminder that our biggest problem is selfishness. We want to be the top dog. We don't like it when others eclipse our attention.
Jesus came because we love ourselves. He loved us more than Himself when He went to the cross in our place. He was more concerned about being obedient to His Father than worrying about what He wanted. It's that perfect obedience and holy suffering and death that save us from our selfish selves.
Now, baptized into Christ, the Lord has given you His Holy Spirit so that you can learn to do the same for others. To put them ahead of you. To treat them as being more important than you. Yes, it's crazy in the eyes of the world. The world says your life is all about you and getting what you can, no matter if you have to step on others.
The Christian faith is much different. Here we learn that we have a Savior who has put us first and a Spirit who teaches us to do the same for others. And our doing so isn't some grab at eternal life, as if we're going to put others first just to get something out of it ourselves! No, we learn a genuine love for those around us by treating them as if they are better than us. It doesn't mean being down on yourself. It means Christ living in you to demonstrate to others the type of love that He has: a love that doesn't seek to please itself, but to help others.
St. Paul calls us to exercise brotherly love toward others. After all, it is the love of our big Brother, Jesus Christ, which has brought us back to the Father and secured for us eternal life. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
O grant that nothing in my soul May dwell, but Thy pure love alone; Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; My ev'ry act, word, thought be love. (LSB 683:2)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Joel 1:1-20
1The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:
An Invasion of Locusts
2(A) Hear this,(B) you elders;
give ear,(C) all inhabitants of the land!Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers? 3(D) Tell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.
4What(E) the cutting locust left,
(F) the swarming locust has eaten.What the swarming locust left,
(G) the hopping locust has eaten,and what the hopping locust left,
(H) the destroying locust has eaten.
5Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and(I) wail, all you drinkers of wine,because of(J) the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth. 6For(K) a nation has come up against my land,
(L) powerful and beyond number;its teeth are lions’ teeth,
and it has the fangs of a lioness. 7It has laid waste my vine
and splintered my(M) fig tree;it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
their branches are made white.
8Lament like a virgin[a](N) wearing sackcloth
for the bridegroom of her youth. 9(O) The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
from the house of the LORD.(P) The priests mourn,
the ministers of the LORD. 10The fields are destroyed,
(Q) the ground mourns,because(R) the grain is destroyed,
the wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
11(S) Be ashamed,[b] O tillers of the soil;
wail, O vinedressers,for the wheat and the barley,
(T) because the harvest of the field has perished. 12The vine dries up;
(U) the fig tree languishes.Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
all the trees of the field are dried up,and(V) gladness dries up
from the children of man.
A Call to Repentance
13(W) Put on sackcloth and lament,(X) O priests;
(Y) wail, O ministers of the altar.Go in,(Z) pass the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!Because grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
14(AA) Consecrate a fast;
(AB) call a solemn assembly.Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the landto the house of the LORD your God,
and cry out to the LORD.
15Alas for the day!(AC) For the day of the LORD is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty[c] it comes. 16Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,(AD) joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
17(AE) The seed shrivels under the clods;[d]
the storehouses are desolate;the granaries are torn down
because(AF) the grain has dried up. 18How(AG) the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexedbecause there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.[e]
19To you,(AH) O LORD, I call.(AI) For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,and flame has burned
all the trees of the field. 20Even the beasts of the field(AJ) pant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,(AK) and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
Footnotes:Joel 1:8 Or young woman Joel 1:11 The Hebrew words for dry up and be ashamed in verses 10-12, 17 sound alike Joel 1:15 Destruction sounds like the Hebrew for Almighty Joel 1:17 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain Joel 1:18 Or are made desolate
Cross references:Joel 1:2 : Hos 5:1 Joel 1:2 : Joel 1:14 Joel 1:2 : Joel 2:2 Joel 1:3 : Psalm 78:4 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Amos 4:9 Joel 1:4 : Amos 7:1; Exodus 10:4 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Psalm 105:34; Nah 3:15 Joel 1:4 : Joel 2:25; Psalm 78:46 Joel 1:5 : Isa 24:11 Joel 1:5 : Joel 3:18; Isa 49:26; Amos 9:13 Joel 1:6 : Joel 2:2 Joel 1:6 : Rev 9:7, 8 Joel 1:7 : Joel 1:12 Joel 1:8 : Joel 1:13; 2 Sam 3:31 Joel 1:9 : Joel 1:13; Joel 2:14 Joel 1:9 : Joel 2:17; Isa 61:6; Ezek 45:4 Joel 1:10 : Hos 4:3 Joel 1:10 : Hos 2:9 Joel 1:11 : Jer 14:4 Joel 1:11 : Joel 1:17 Joel 1:12 : Joel 1:7 Joel 1:12 : Isa 24:11; Jer 48:33 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:8; Jer 4:8 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:9 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:8; Mic 1:8 Joel 1:13 : Joel 1:9; Joel 2:14 Joel 1:14 : Joel 2:15, 16; 2 Chr 20:3 Joel 1:14 : Joel 1:2 Joel 1:15 : Joel 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Isa 13:6, 9; Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:2, 3; Amos 5:18; Obad 15; Zeph 1:14, 15; Zech 14:1; 2 Pet 3:10 Joel 1:16 : Deut 12:6, 7; 16:14, 15 Joel 1:17 : Mal 2:3 Joel 1:17 : Joel 1:11 Joel 1:18 : Joel 2:22; Jer 12:4; Hos 4:3 Joel 1:19 : Psalm 50:15 Joel 1:19 : Jer 9:10 Joel 1:20 : Job 38:41; Psalm 104:21; 145:15 Joel 1:20 : Joel 1:19
Second Reading: Rom. 10:1-21
1Brothers,[a] my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that(A) they have a zeal for God,(B) but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of(C) the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For(D) Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]
The Message of Salvation to All
5For(E) Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that(F) the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But(G) the righteousness based on faith says,(H) "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will descend into the(I) abyss?'" (that is,(J) to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?(K) "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if(L) you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and(M) believe in your heart(N) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says,(O) "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12(P) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;(Q) for the same Lord is Lord of all,(R) bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For(S) "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him(T) of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear(U) without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,(V) "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 16But(W) they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says,(X) "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" 17So(Y) faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
(Z) "Their voice has gone out(AA) to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world."
19But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
(AB) "I will(AC) make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a(AD) foolish nation I will make you angry."
20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
(AE) "I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."
21But of Israel he says,(AF) "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."
Footnotes:Romans 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters Romans 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified Romans 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard
Cross references:Romans 10:2 : Acts 21:20 Romans 10:2 : Romans 9:31 Romans 10:3 : Romans 1:17 Romans 10:4 : Matt 5:17; Gal 3:24 Romans 10:5 : Lev 18:5 Romans 10:5 : Neh 9:29; Ezek 20:11, 13, 21; Matt 19:17; Luke 10:28; Gal 3:12; Romans 7:10 Romans 10:6 : Romans 9:30 Romans 10:6 : Deut 30:12, 13 Romans 10:7 : Rev 9:1 Romans 10:7 : Heb 13:20 Romans 10:8 : Deut 30:14 Romans 10:9 : Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11 Romans 10:9 : Acts 16:31 Romans 10:9 : 1 Pet 1:21; Acts 2:24 Romans 10:11 : Romans 9:33 Romans 10:12 : Romans 3:22, 29 Romans 10:12 : Acts 10:36 Romans 10:12 : Romans 2:4 Romans 10:13 : Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32 Romans 10:14 : Eph 4:21; John 9:36; 17:20 Romans 10:14 : Acts 8:31; Titus 1:3 Romans 10:15 : Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; Eph 6:15 Romans 10:16 : Romans 3:3; Heb 4:2 Romans 10:16 : John 12:38; Isa 53:1 Romans 10:17 : Gal 3:2, 5 Romans 10:18 : Psalm 19:4; 1 Thess 1:8 Romans 10:18 : Mark 16:15; Matt 24:14 Romans 10:19 : Deut 32:21 Romans 10:19 : Romans 11:11, 14 Romans 10:19 : Titus 3:3 Romans 10:20 : Isa 65:1; Romans 9:30 Romans 10:21 : Isa 65:2
Friday Father Reading
"At the sacred Gathering, at the very time when the awful Mystery of the Eucharist is taking place, a horrible blasphemy may attack the Lord from impious thoughts, profaning the Sacrifice itself, from which we clearly understand that these unspeakable and accursed thoughts against God come not from our soul, but from the devil, God's enemy. For if these foul and evil words formed in the mind are mine, how can it be, having received the heavenly Gift, that I bow down and adore? For the one who is troubled by this spirit of blasphemy and longs to be delivered from it, let him know that thoughts of this kind spring not from his soul, but from that same impure devil who said to the Lord long ago, 'All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.' Let us, then, despise him and pay no attention at all to his fantasies, but say, 'Get behind me, Satan! I will worship the Lord, my God!'" [St. John Climacus. "23rd Step of the Ascent to Paradise." 6th Century]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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