RELIGION AND ART

Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. In the letter he wrote, 'Station Uriah in the thick of the fight and then fall back behind him so that he may be struck down and die'. Joab, then besieging the town, posted Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce fighters.  The men of the town sallied out and engaged Joab; the army suffered casualties, including some of David's bodyguard; and Uriah the Hittite was killed too. Mass Readings Lectures du jour Psalm 51 Saints for today Be merciful to me Lord, have mercy on me Father. May your mercy never depart from me. Thank you for your love and mercy.

After Nathan had spoken to David, the King went in and, seated before the Lord, said: Who am I, Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises to extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future.  You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, the Lord, have become their God.  Now, Lord always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said.  Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say: "the Lord of hosts is God over Israel." The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, "I will build you a House', hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. Yes, Lord, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to y

Again he began to teach by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there.  The people were all along the shore, at the water's edge. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them, 'Listen!, Imagine a sower going our to sow.  Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and sprang up straightaway, because there was no depth of earth; and when the sun came up it was scorched, not having any roots, it withered away. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it,  and it produced no crop. And some seeds fell into right soil and,  growing tall and strong, produced crop; and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.' And he said, 'Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!'  Mass Readings Lectures

 His mother and brothers now arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him.  A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Your mothers and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you'.  He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.  Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.' Mass Readings Lectures du jour Saint Thomas A. Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ our brother.  His coming makes us members of God family.  His coming set us free from bondage. Thank you loving Father for making me your child. How lovely is your dwelling place