Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14
to accept the words of your Son. ACTS 16:14
MALACHI 3:13-20 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
The prophet's description of the people whose hearts had hardened towards God fittingly describes the ungodly and the worldly in our world today. Only a handful keep Your commands the rest of the world walks in arrogance believing that they do not need You. Most are quite ignorant of You and hence have no one to turn to in their loneliness. Their lives are empty and they try to fill them with what can never satisfy the human soul. Evil is called good and good is despised as weak and foolish. But Your eyes are always on us, Lord and the day of judgment will arrive as surely as day follows night.
Keep Your remnant safe from the wiles of the enemy, Lord. Protect us by the power of Your Word and the power of Your Sacraments. Fill us with holy fear, awe, and amazement at Your goodness, mercy, and compassion. Open the eyes of sinners so they can see the light and be saved. Spare us O Lord from the coming wrath that we deserve - pity us Lord for we are weak and we cling to You. Let the wicked turn away from their sins. Let those who believe be unafraid to walk in the way of truth, light, and life. Hear our prayers O Lord and grant us forgiveness and mercy. Do not treat us as we deserve but in Your love rescue us and keep us safe from the snares of the enemy.
For the day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.
PSALM 1:1-4,6 ©
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
LUKE 11:5-13 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
Today You teach us, Your disciples, that our prayer in order to be heard is not something we undertake lightly or do casually but we must pray always and pray persistently. We need to pray with hope even when we are tempted to believe that the situation is hopeless.
Your word is clear and we are not to ask for just material and temporal things but more importantly for the Holy Spirit which gives us life and equips us to lead holy lives pleasing to the Father.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
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