From USCCB:
December 1, 2010
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
Read
Today is the annual observance of World AIDS Day, when the global community notes the impact of HIV and AIDS and its effects on people of all nations. Learn more about this devastating disease, its impact, and how faith communities are responding from the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.
Pray
Pray for those who are suffering from HIV and AIDS and their families.
Reflect
Reflect on today’s readings, especially the 23rd Psalm and its comforting words for those who are fighting AIDS or other diseases.
Act
Learn more about the impact of HIV/AIDS and how you can help the suffering thorough action and prayer.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Byzantine Catholic Daily Readings For Wednesday, 1 December
From byzcath.org, wapedia and bibleoremus.org:
Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week After Pentecost
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Fast of the Nativity, the Prophet Nahum
Scriptural Readings:
2 Timothy 4:9-22
2 Timothy 4:9-22
9Do your best to come to me soon, 10for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. 15You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
16At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:1-8
20One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” 3He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” 5They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Synaxarion:
This month has thirty-one days with nine hours of day and fifteen hours of night.
December 1
Memory of the holy Prophet Nahum (Seventh century B.C.)
The Prophet Nahum was born in Elcos, Galilee. He predicted the ruin of Ninive, in the second half of the Seventh century B.C.
Fifth Class Feast.
Sunday of the Blind Man of Jericho: On the Sunday which falls between December 1-3, the Gospel of the Fourteenth Sunday after the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-giving Cross (Luke 18:35-43) is read, where the healing of the blind man of Jericho named Bartimeus is mentioned.
Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week After Pentecost
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Fast of the Nativity, the Prophet Nahum
Scriptural Readings:
2 Timothy 4:9-22
2 Timothy 4:9-22
9Do your best to come to me soon, 10for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. 15You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
16At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:1-8
20One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” 3He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” 5They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Synaxarion:
This month has thirty-one days with nine hours of day and fifteen hours of night.
December 1
Memory of the holy Prophet Nahum (Seventh century B.C.)
The Prophet Nahum was born in Elcos, Galilee. He predicted the ruin of Ninive, in the second half of the Seventh century B.C.
Fifth Class Feast.
Sunday of the Blind Man of Jericho: On the Sunday which falls between December 1-3, the Gospel of the Fourteenth Sunday after the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-giving Cross (Luke 18:35-43) is read, where the healing of the blind man of Jericho named Bartimeus is mentioned.
Antiochan Syriac Orthodox Daily Readings For Wednesday, 1 December
From antiochan.org, dynamispublications.org:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: The Nativity Fast
Scriptural Readings:
2 Timothy 4:9-22
2 Timothy 4:9-22
9Do your best to come to me soon, 10for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. 15You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
16At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:1-8
20One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” 3He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” 5They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Nahum 1:1-14 (12/1-12/14) A Reading in Kellia on the Feast of the Holy Prophet Nahum
Norms & Destiny: Nahum 1:1-14 SAAS, especially vss. 7, 8: “The Lord is merciful to those who wait on Him in the day of affliction, and He knows those who reverence Him. For with an overwhelming flood He shall make an end to those rising up, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” Terrorist attacks today have awakened nations and peoples to consider their destiny and their vulnerability. The painful cruelty of terrorism gives the words of the Holy Prophet, Nahum the Elkoshite, and of Sir William Watson, a twentieth century English poet, striking poignancy. Take Sir William’s poem, “Lachrymae Musarum” in which he writes:
The seasons change, the winds they shift and veer;
The grass of yesteryear
Is dead; the birds depart, the groves decay:
Empires dissolve and peoples disappear:
Song passes not away.
The Prophet Nahum’s ‘song’ endures in three short chapters enshrined in Holy Scripture - its music being God’s living voice to His enemies and His People. The words of the Prophet affirming that “Empires dissolve and peoples disappear” are the eternal hymn of the Church. The song begs reflection by those who plot the demise of others as well as by those they would destroy. While largely forgotten are the ancient historical circumstances to which the Prophet of Elkosh spoke, the truth of his words - the abiding word of the Lord - lives on with fresh application for all who vainly hope that things will always be as they have been and are today.
Assyria, a fierce empire in upper Mesopotamia, rose to international prominence in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ about 900 BC. It proved invincible to neighboring kingdoms, to mighty empires such as Egypt, Elam, and Babylonia, as well as Lydia in Anatolia, and, of course, to the tiny kingdom of Judah in Palestine, the homeland of Nahum.
Assyria reached the zenith of power during the reign of its emperor Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC). Then, suddenly, the nation declined and disappeared forever following the destruction of its capital, Nineveh, by the Babylonian army in 612 BC. Illumined by God, Nahum foretold this scouring defeat, which gives his prophecies pertinence to peoples everywhere at all times.
The present reading is the opening portion of Nahum’s prophecy. It divides into two parts: the first reveals God’s judgment toward His ‘adversaries’ as well as His will for “...those who reverence Him” (vss. 2,7); the second portion describes how God acts toward those who “...plot against the Lord” and toward His own who have been in ‘bonds’ under them (vss. 9,13).
The Lord “...takes vengeance on His adversaries...” (vs. 2). The Prophet frames this word of the Lord in images drawn from the destructive powers of nature (vss. 5,6). But be attentive: God’s aim ever is mercy for “...those who wait on Him in the day of affliction” (vs. 7).
If you love the Lord, then know that enemies and affliction are ever the ‘norm’ for the faithful. Our Lord Himself ‘was ill-treated’ (Is. 53:7). Lobbyists against truth and politicians who temporize with terrorists are enemies of God, as are those openly bent on destroying life, families, cities and churches: Nahum declares God’s judgment on all such. However, rejoice, the Master’s Resurrection declares our eternal destiny: “...neither death nor life...nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38,39).
Holy art Thou, O Master Who lovest mankind, Who hast provided for us the salvation of regeneration, which is in Thy Christ Himself, Who brought us to the knowledge of Thee our God.
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: The Nativity Fast
Scriptural Readings:
2 Timothy 4:9-22
2 Timothy 4:9-22
9Do your best to come to me soon, 10for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. 12I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. 15You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
16At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Luke 20:1-8
Luke 20:1-8
20One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” 3He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” 5They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Nahum 1:1-14 (12/1-12/14) A Reading in Kellia on the Feast of the Holy Prophet Nahum
Norms & Destiny: Nahum 1:1-14 SAAS, especially vss. 7, 8: “The Lord is merciful to those who wait on Him in the day of affliction, and He knows those who reverence Him. For with an overwhelming flood He shall make an end to those rising up, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” Terrorist attacks today have awakened nations and peoples to consider their destiny and their vulnerability. The painful cruelty of terrorism gives the words of the Holy Prophet, Nahum the Elkoshite, and of Sir William Watson, a twentieth century English poet, striking poignancy. Take Sir William’s poem, “Lachrymae Musarum” in which he writes:
The seasons change, the winds they shift and veer;
The grass of yesteryear
Is dead; the birds depart, the groves decay:
Empires dissolve and peoples disappear:
Song passes not away.
The Prophet Nahum’s ‘song’ endures in three short chapters enshrined in Holy Scripture - its music being God’s living voice to His enemies and His People. The words of the Prophet affirming that “Empires dissolve and peoples disappear” are the eternal hymn of the Church. The song begs reflection by those who plot the demise of others as well as by those they would destroy. While largely forgotten are the ancient historical circumstances to which the Prophet of Elkosh spoke, the truth of his words - the abiding word of the Lord - lives on with fresh application for all who vainly hope that things will always be as they have been and are today.
Assyria, a fierce empire in upper Mesopotamia, rose to international prominence in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ about 900 BC. It proved invincible to neighboring kingdoms, to mighty empires such as Egypt, Elam, and Babylonia, as well as Lydia in Anatolia, and, of course, to the tiny kingdom of Judah in Palestine, the homeland of Nahum.
Assyria reached the zenith of power during the reign of its emperor Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC). Then, suddenly, the nation declined and disappeared forever following the destruction of its capital, Nineveh, by the Babylonian army in 612 BC. Illumined by God, Nahum foretold this scouring defeat, which gives his prophecies pertinence to peoples everywhere at all times.
The present reading is the opening portion of Nahum’s prophecy. It divides into two parts: the first reveals God’s judgment toward His ‘adversaries’ as well as His will for “...those who reverence Him” (vss. 2,7); the second portion describes how God acts toward those who “...plot against the Lord” and toward His own who have been in ‘bonds’ under them (vss. 9,13).
The Lord “...takes vengeance on His adversaries...” (vs. 2). The Prophet frames this word of the Lord in images drawn from the destructive powers of nature (vss. 5,6). But be attentive: God’s aim ever is mercy for “...those who wait on Him in the day of affliction” (vs. 7).
If you love the Lord, then know that enemies and affliction are ever the ‘norm’ for the faithful. Our Lord Himself ‘was ill-treated’ (Is. 53:7). Lobbyists against truth and politicians who temporize with terrorists are enemies of God, as are those openly bent on destroying life, families, cities and churches: Nahum declares God’s judgment on all such. However, rejoice, the Master’s Resurrection declares our eternal destiny: “...neither death nor life...nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38,39).
Holy art Thou, O Master Who lovest mankind, Who hast provided for us the salvation of regeneration, which is in Thy Christ Himself, Who brought us to the knowledge of Thee our God.
Presbyterian Daily Readings For Wednesday, 1 December
From pcusa.org:
Daily Readings for Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Morning Psalms 50; 147:1-11
First Reading Isaiah 2:1-4
Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Gospel Luke 20:19-26
Evening Psalms 53; 17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Psalm 50
1The mighty one, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.
4He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5"Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah
7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9I will not accept a bull from your house,
or goats from your folds.
10For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
16But to the wicked God says:
"What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
17For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.
19"You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother's child.
21These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
22"Mark this, then, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.
23Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God."
Morning Psalm 147:1-11
1Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
8He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
9He gives to the animals their food,
and to the young ravens when they cry.
10His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
First Reading Isaiah 2:1-4
1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
13We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God's wrath has overtaken them at last.
17As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you - in person, not in heart — we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. 18For we wanted to come to you — certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again — but Satan blocked our way. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20Yes, you are our glory and joy!
Gospel Luke 20:19-26
19When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.
20So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" 23But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24"Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's." 25He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Evening Psalm 53
1Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
there is no one who does good.
2God looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
3They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.
4Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5There they shall be in great terror,
in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;
they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
6O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
Evening Psalm 17
1Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
3If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
4As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
7Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11They track me down; now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12They are like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13Rise up, O LORD, confront them, overthrow them!
By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14from mortals — by your hand, O LORD —
from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
may their children have more than enough;
may they leave something over to their little ones.
15As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Daily Readings for Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Morning Psalms 50; 147:1-11
First Reading Isaiah 2:1-4
Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Gospel Luke 20:19-26
Evening Psalms 53; 17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Psalm 50
1The mighty one, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.
4He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5"Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah
7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9I will not accept a bull from your house,
or goats from your folds.
10For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12"If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
16But to the wicked God says:
"What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
17For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.
19"You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother's child.
21These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
22"Mark this, then, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.
23Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God."
Morning Psalm 147:1-11
1Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
8He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
9He gives to the animals their food,
and to the young ravens when they cry.
10His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
First Reading Isaiah 2:1-4
1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
13We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God's wrath has overtaken them at last.
17As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you - in person, not in heart — we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. 18For we wanted to come to you — certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again — but Satan blocked our way. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20Yes, you are our glory and joy!
Gospel Luke 20:19-26
19When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.
20So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" 23But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24"Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's." 25He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Evening Psalm 53
1Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
there is no one who does good.
2God looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
3They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.
4Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?
5There they shall be in great terror,
in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;
they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
6O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
Evening Psalm 17
1Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
3If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
4As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
7Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11They track me down; now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12They are like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13Rise up, O LORD, confront them, overthrow them!
By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14from mortals — by your hand, O LORD —
from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
may their children have more than enough;
may they leave something over to their little ones.
15As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Coptic Orthodox Daily Readings For Wednesday, 1 December (22 Hator 1727)
From copticchurch.net:
The Synaxarium:
Commemorations for Hator 22
• The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas, Damian, Their Brothers and Their Mother
1. The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas, Damian, Their Brothers and Their Mother
On this day, saints Cosmas and Damian, their brothers, Anthimus, Leontius (Londius) and Euprepius (Abrabius), and their mother Theodata, were martyred. They were from one of the Arab countries. Their mother feared God and was compassionate and merciful towards strangers. She became a widow, while her children were still young. She raised them and instilled in them the fear of God and the love of righteousness. Cosmas and Damian studied medicine and they treated the sick, free of charge. As for their brothers, they went to the desert and became monks.
When Diocletian renounced the faith and ordered the worship of idols, he was told that Cosmas and Damian were preaching in the Name of Christ, and urging others not to worship idols. He ordered them to be brought to the Governor of the city, who tortured them severely by beating them and burning them. He then asked them the whereabouts of their brothers. Upon finding out, he brought them and their mother. He ordered them to raise incense before the idols, but they refused. He then ordered the five to be squeezed through the wheel. When they experienced no harm, he took them out and cast them into a red hot furnace for three days and three nights, then into hot boiling water. Finally he placed them on red-hot iron beds. Through all this, however, the Lord raised them up whole and unharmed to reveal His glory and the honor of His saints.
When the Governor became weary of torturing them he sent them to the Emperor who also tortured them. Their mother constantly encouraged and comforted them. The Emperor rebuked her, but she admonished him for his cruelty and for worshipping idols. He ordered her head to be cut off and she received the crown of everlasting life. Her body remained on the ground and no one dared to bury it for their fear of the Emperor. St. Cosmas screamed at those present saying, "Men of this city, is there not one merciful person among you who will cover the body of this poor old widow and bury her?" Straightaway, Victor, the son of Romanus, came forward, took the body, placed it in a shroud, and buried it.
When the Emperor heard what Victor had done, he ordered that he be exiled in the land of Egypt, where he received the crown of martyrdom. The next day, the Emperor ordered the heads of the saints Cosmas, Damian, and their brothers to be cut off. They then received the crown of life in the kingdom of heaven.
At the end of the era of persecution, many churches were built in the name of these saints and God made manifest many signs and wonders therein.
Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Synaxarium:
Commemorations for Hator 22
• The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas, Damian, Their Brothers and Their Mother
1. The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas, Damian, Their Brothers and Their Mother
On this day, saints Cosmas and Damian, their brothers, Anthimus, Leontius (Londius) and Euprepius (Abrabius), and their mother Theodata, were martyred. They were from one of the Arab countries. Their mother feared God and was compassionate and merciful towards strangers. She became a widow, while her children were still young. She raised them and instilled in them the fear of God and the love of righteousness. Cosmas and Damian studied medicine and they treated the sick, free of charge. As for their brothers, they went to the desert and became monks.
When Diocletian renounced the faith and ordered the worship of idols, he was told that Cosmas and Damian were preaching in the Name of Christ, and urging others not to worship idols. He ordered them to be brought to the Governor of the city, who tortured them severely by beating them and burning them. He then asked them the whereabouts of their brothers. Upon finding out, he brought them and their mother. He ordered them to raise incense before the idols, but they refused. He then ordered the five to be squeezed through the wheel. When they experienced no harm, he took them out and cast them into a red hot furnace for three days and three nights, then into hot boiling water. Finally he placed them on red-hot iron beds. Through all this, however, the Lord raised them up whole and unharmed to reveal His glory and the honor of His saints.
When the Governor became weary of torturing them he sent them to the Emperor who also tortured them. Their mother constantly encouraged and comforted them. The Emperor rebuked her, but she admonished him for his cruelty and for worshipping idols. He ordered her head to be cut off and she received the crown of everlasting life. Her body remained on the ground and no one dared to bury it for their fear of the Emperor. St. Cosmas screamed at those present saying, "Men of this city, is there not one merciful person among you who will cover the body of this poor old widow and bury her?" Straightaway, Victor, the son of Romanus, came forward, took the body, placed it in a shroud, and buried it.
When the Emperor heard what Victor had done, he ordered that he be exiled in the land of Egypt, where he received the crown of martyrdom. The next day, the Emperor ordered the heads of the saints Cosmas, Damian, and their brothers to be cut off. They then received the crown of life in the kingdom of heaven.
At the end of the era of persecution, many churches were built in the name of these saints and God made manifest many signs and wonders therein.
Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Advent Calendar, Day Four
From Beliefnet:
Day Four:
The Soul of Christmas Cartoons
I'm Mister Heat Miser
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Hundred and One
Rudolph. Frosty. The Grinch. You've loved them for years, but do they have any, ahem, redeeming value?
Actually, yes. Most Christmas specials champion the spirit--sometimes with subtle references to love and peace, sometimes with overt references to the Nativity story. And in one holiday favorite, a leading cartoon character actually quotes from the gospels while clutching his trusty blanket
Advent Prayer: Behold His ComingSunday November 29, 2009
Categories: Advent, Advent Prayer, Christianity, Jesus, Prayer
By Claudia Mair Burney
The First Sunday of Advent
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14, KJV.
The word "advent" means "coming." But the season is not merely a time to be marked off our calendars amid all our other holiday events. For what is this Advent but an invitation given to us from Isaiah's prophesy: behold. Look at the miracle of the Incarnation. Christ put on the fragile garment of human flesh; He lived among us, being both God and Man; He suffered and died, and He promised to return. His coming, Advent, begs the questions, what does this mean to me? How do I behold Him?
As we pray through Advent, each week we will focus on one of four ways that Christ comes into our lives, beginning with His emergence into the world He created with a Word, as a helpless infant. May we watch and wait, and welcome Him with joy, allowing His presence to transform us.
My Father in Heaven,
Help me to slow down. So much is happening during the holiday season. I don't want to miss You while I'm out shopping for gifts, going to parties, or even attending church to celebrate Your coming. I marvel at Your humility to leave riches and glory so profound I'm incapable of imagining them, for such a simple dwelling, the womb of a mortal woman. Give me the humility during this sacred time to reflect on my life, recognize my duplicity and, like your mother, open the whole of myself to You. Then I can watch and wait for Your salvation. Without you I can do nothing, including utter, with a since heart, the words that reflect the longing of the prophets,
"Come, Lord Jesus."
Day Four:
The Soul of Christmas Cartoons
I'm Mister Heat Miser
I'm Mister Sun
I'm Mister Green Christmas
I'm Mister Hundred and One
Rudolph. Frosty. The Grinch. You've loved them for years, but do they have any, ahem, redeeming value?
Actually, yes. Most Christmas specials champion the spirit--sometimes with subtle references to love and peace, sometimes with overt references to the Nativity story. And in one holiday favorite, a leading cartoon character actually quotes from the gospels while clutching his trusty blanket
Advent Prayer: Behold His ComingSunday November 29, 2009
Categories: Advent, Advent Prayer, Christianity, Jesus, Prayer
By Claudia Mair Burney
The First Sunday of Advent
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14, KJV.
The word "advent" means "coming." But the season is not merely a time to be marked off our calendars amid all our other holiday events. For what is this Advent but an invitation given to us from Isaiah's prophesy: behold. Look at the miracle of the Incarnation. Christ put on the fragile garment of human flesh; He lived among us, being both God and Man; He suffered and died, and He promised to return. His coming, Advent, begs the questions, what does this mean to me? How do I behold Him?
As we pray through Advent, each week we will focus on one of four ways that Christ comes into our lives, beginning with His emergence into the world He created with a Word, as a helpless infant. May we watch and wait, and welcome Him with joy, allowing His presence to transform us.
My Father in Heaven,
Help me to slow down. So much is happening during the holiday season. I don't want to miss You while I'm out shopping for gifts, going to parties, or even attending church to celebrate Your coming. I marvel at Your humility to leave riches and glory so profound I'm incapable of imagining them, for such a simple dwelling, the womb of a mortal woman. Give me the humility during this sacred time to reflect on my life, recognize my duplicity and, like your mother, open the whole of myself to You. Then I can watch and wait for Your salvation. Without you I can do nothing, including utter, with a since heart, the words that reflect the longing of the prophets,
"Come, Lord Jesus."
Presbyterian Advent Devotional For Wednesday, 1 December
From The Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary:
Listen: http://www.austinseminary.edu/cf_media2/index.cfm?g=184
Listen: http://www.austinseminary.edu/cf_media2/index.cfm?g=184
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)