GOD'S KING AND SHEPHERD

A DIVIDED KINGDOM

MONDAY WEEK III IN ORD. TIME YEAR C

PRAYER FOR DAILY NEGLECTS: Eternal Father, I offer thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with all its Love, all its sufferings and all its merits.

First: To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…… Reaings,

Second: To purify the good I have done badly this day and during all my life. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…… Lectures

Third: To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and during all my life, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…… Pieta Reflection Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor

First Reading 2 Samuel 5:1-7,10

'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel'

All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron. ‘Look’ they said ‘we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, “You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.”’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they anointed David king of Israel.

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. He reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven years and six months; then he reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David and his men marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites living there. These said to David, ‘You will not get in here. The blind and the lame will hold you off.’ (That is to say: David will never get in here.) But David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David.

David grew greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.

Responsorial Psalm: My truth and love shall be with him

Gospel Mark 3:22-30

A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’ So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.

‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.’

Your Birthday Saint: Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor. May he interced on your behalf through Jesus Christ our Lord.

My God, my Father, may your truth and your love abide with me. Father may I not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Delivier me Father from the guilt of eternal sin. May your Kingdom reign in my heart for a kingdom divided against itself can never stand. Yours Father in heaven is an Everlasting Kingdom. Your Son Jesus Christ is the Heavenly Prince, I acknowledge his reign over my life.

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. Saint Francis de Sales pray for me. God's Holy Angels pray for me. My Angel Guardian pray for me. Protect me, be my guide and my guard.

Pray the Holy Rosary: May the Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour intercede for us. May she bring us to her Son Jesus Christ.

gloriahelg

TRUST GOD, TRUST IN ME

Fifth Sunday of Easter 'I am going now to prepare a place for you' First Reading Acts 6:1-7 They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid th...

THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

Tuesday week 3 of Eastertide - ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ First Reading 7:51-8,1 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had the Law brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.’ They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they ...

YOU MUST NOT KILL

First Reading Ezekiel 18:21-28 I prefer to see the wicked man renounce his wickedness and live Thus says the Lord: ‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? ‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright ma...

RELIGION AND ART

Search This Blog