The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many. MK 10:45
ZECHARIAH 8:20-23
My Soul's Beloved,
Today, we are reminded that nothing in this life matters except knowing God, seeking Him, loving Him above and beyond anything else that demands our affection, and doing His will in all things, no matter how difficult and how hard our flesh balks against it. True peace and joy come only from knowing that our will is aligned with Yours in all things. This is why we are attracted to people who are wholly in love with You, for they have understood perfectly that we are created by You for You, and we are to belong to You not just in time but eternally.
We thank You, Lord, for appointing us such good shepherds in the last decades as successors to St. Peter; each has been a beacon of light in a world growing increasingly dark through false ideologies that come from the deepest, darkest pit of hell. So many in every corner of the world are being annihilated simply for being Your followers and refusing to deny that they are Yours. It can be really discouraging, Beloved, as we pray and cry out to You with increasing sadness and anxiety, 'How much longer, O Lord, will You remain deaf to the cries of so many who are being crushed under the heel of the Enemy?' Grant us the grace to not lose hope and wait with confidence for the day when the Day of the Lord arrives and the great tribulation will end, and all will fall on their knees and worship You, the true God and the peace that You came to give will prevail everywhere.
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’
PSALM 86(87)
God is with us.
But I say to you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. 30 Give to the one who asks, and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The world and those of the world jeer and laugh to scorn at those who live the Beatitudes faithfully and keep Your Word despite provocation from the godless or those who worship false gods. In places where Christians are in a minority, they are hounded, persecuted, denied their legitimate rights, their homes are taken from them, their churches are destroyed, and they are attacked when they come to worship You. In many nations, the earth is soaked in the blood of martyrs who preferred death rather than deny You. And while we can take up the sword, O Lord, in our defence, You have warned that those who live by the sword will die by it. And so we rest in peace and serenity in You and Your word, for You alone have the power to save.
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’
PSALM 86(87)
God is with us.
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
God is with us.
LUKE 9:51-56
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
Our natural human instinct is to repay evil for evil, blow for blow, abuse for abuse, and to answer violence with even more violence. But You taught us a better way, a more effective way, the divine way.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The world and those of the world jeer and laugh to scorn at those who live the Beatitudes faithfully and keep Your Word despite provocation from the godless or those who worship false gods. In places where Christians are in a minority, they are hounded, persecuted, denied their legitimate rights, their homes are taken from them, their churches are destroyed, and they are attacked when they come to worship You. In many nations, the earth is soaked in the blood of martyrs who preferred death rather than deny You. And while we can take up the sword, O Lord, in our defence, You have warned that those who live by the sword will die by it. And so we rest in peace and serenity in You and Your word, for You alone have the power to save.
As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
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