1
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to
be among the clans of Judah, From you
shall come forth for me one who is to
be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is
from of old, from ancient times.
2
(Therefore the Lord will give them
up, until the time when she who is to
give birth has borne, And the rest of
his brethren shall return to the
children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his
flock by the strength of the LORD, in
the majestic name of the LORD, his
God; And they shall remain, for now
his greatness shall reach to the ends
of the earth;
(4)
Lord, make us turn
to you; let us see your face and we shall
be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine
forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
Lord, make
us turn to you; let us see your face and
we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has
planted
the son of man whom you yourself made
strong.
Lord, make
us turn to you; let us see your face and
we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your
right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made
strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon
your name.
Lord, make
us turn to you; let us see your face and
we shall be saved.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:5-10):
First he says, "Sacrifices and
offerings, holocausts and sin
offerings, 4
you neither desired nor delighted
in." These are offered according to
the law.
The LORD has removed the judgment
against you, he has turned away your
enemies; The King of Israel, the
LORD, is in your midst, you have no
further misfortune to fear.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior; He will rejoice over
you with gladness, and renew you in
his love, He will sing joyfully
because of you,
R. (6) Cry out with joy and
gladness: for among you is the great and
Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out
with joy and gladness: for among you is
the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out
with joy and gladness: for among you is
the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious
achievement;
let this be known throughout all the
earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry
out with joy and gladness: for among you
is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reading II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (Philippians 4:4-7):
Soldiers also asked him, "And what is
it that we should do?" He told them,
"Do not practice extortion, do not
falsely accuse anyone, and be
satisfied with your wages."
6
John answered them all, saying, "I am
baptizing you with water, but one
mightier than I is coming. I am not
worthy to loosen the thongs of his
sandals. He will baptize you with the
holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan 7
is in his hand to clear his threshing
floor and to gather the wheat into
his barn, but the chaff he will burn
with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways, he
preached good news to the people.
---------------------
12/13/09- American Dad video clip- Stan and his wife miss the rapture because she seduced him just before church, in the janitor's closet at church. Now Stan thinks he's found Jesus and can make a deal with him, but Stan's wife finds the REAL Jesus.
Up, Jerusalem! stand upon the
heights; look to the east and see
your children Gathered from the east
and the west at the word of the Holy
One, rejoicing that they are
remembered by God.
For God has commanded that every
lofty mountain be made low, And that
the age-old depths and gorges be
filled to level ground, that Israel
may advance secure in the glory of
God.
12
In the fifteenth year of the reign of
Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate
was governor of Judea, and Herod was
tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother
Philip tetrarch of the region of
Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias
was tetrarch of Abilene,
5
as it is written in the book of the
words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice
of one crying out in the desert:
'Prepare the way of the Lord, make
straight his paths.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O
Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O
Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and
constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his
decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those
who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O
Lord, I lift my soul.
Reading II - A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:12- 4:2):
Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask
and exhort you in the Lord Jesus
that, as you received from us how you
should conduct yourselves to please
God--and as you are conducting
yourselves--you do so even more.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you have the strength to escape
the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
--------------------
11/29/09- Project Blue Beam (continued from last week's entry): Here's a bit more info on stuff related to Project Blue Beam from an interview with David Icke by Alex Jones on Jones' radio show.
8
As the visions during the night
continued, I saw One like a son of
man coming, on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One and
was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and
kingship; nations and peoples of
every language serve him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away, his
kingship shall not be destroyed.
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler
of the kings of the earth. To him who
loves us and has freed us 5
from our sins by his blood,
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not
belong to this world. If my kingdom
did belong to this world, my
attendants (would) be fighting to
keep me from being handed over to the
Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not
here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are
a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I
am a king. 16
For this I was born and for this I
came into the world, to testify to
the truth. Everyone who belongs to
the truth listens to my voice."
---------------------
11/22/09- Project Blue Beam - "The Blue Beam Project will pretend to be the universal fulfillment of the prophecies of old. In principle, it will make use of the sky as a movie screen space-based, laser-generating satellites project simultaneous images to every part of the planet, in every language, in every dialect according to region. Specifically, the show will consist of laser projections of multiple holographic images to different parts of the world, each receiving different images according to predominating regional/national religious faiths. No area will be excluded. With computer animation and sound effects appearing to come from the depths of space, astonished followers of the various creeds will witness their own returned Messiah in spectacularly convincing lifelike realness. The various saviors will then merge into one after "correct" explanations of the mysteries, prophecies, and revelations will have been disclosed. This event will occur at a time of great political and general tumult." (quoted from the following website):
1
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince, guardian
of your people; It shall be a time
unsurpassed in distress since nations
began until that time. At that time
your people shall escape, everyone
who is found written in the book.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be
disturbed.
R. You are
my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul
rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to
the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to
undergo corruption.
R. You are
my inheritance, O Lord!
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are
my inheritance, O Lord!
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:11-14, 18):
In those days, Elijah the prophet
went to Zarephath. As he arrived at
the entrance of the city, a widow was
gathering sticks there; he called out
to her, "Please bring me a small
cupful of water to drink."
"As the LORD, your God, lives," she
answered, "I have nothing baked;
there is only a handful of flour in
my jar and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of
sticks, to go in and prepare
something for myself and my son; when
we have eaten it, we shall die."
"Do not be afraid," Elijah said to
her. "Go and do as you propose. But
first make me a little cake and bring
it to me. Then you can prepare
something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel,
says, 'The jar of flour shall not go
empty, nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends
rain upon the earth.'"
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed
down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Alleluia.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
Reading II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews 9:24-28):
if that were so, he would have had to
suffer repeatedly from the foundation
of the world. But now once for all he
has appeared at the end of the ages
19
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
so also Christ, offered once to take
away the sins of many, 20
will appear a second time, not to
take away sin but to bring salvation
to those who eagerly await him.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (Mark 12:38-44):
7
In the course of his teaching Jesus
said to the crowds, "Beware of the
scribes, who like to go around in
long robes and accept greetings in
the marketplaces,
For they have all contributed from
their surplus wealth, but she, from
her poverty, has contributed all she
had, her whole livelihood."
--------------------
11/08/09- "Bless the Lord My Soul" and the Beatitudes from the hippie gospel musical Godspell. Great movie! This would have been perfect for last week's gospel reading (which was the Beatitudes).
Then I, John, saw another angel come
up from the East,
3
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the
four angels who were given power to
damage the land and the sea,
After this I had a vision of a great
multitude, which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and
tongue. They stood before the throne
and before the Lamb, wearing white
robes and holding palm branches
6
in their hands.
All the angels stood around the
throne and around the elders and the
four living creatures. They
prostrated themselves before the
throne, worshiped God,
I said to him, "My lord, you are the
one who knows." He said to me, "These
are the ones who have survived the
time of great distress;
8
they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.
R. (see 6)
Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart
is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R.
Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
Reading
II - A reading from the first letter of John (1
John 3:1-3):
1
See what love the Father has bestowed
on us that we may be called the
children of God. Yet so we are. The
reason the world does not know us is
that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been
revealed. We do know that when it is
revealed 2
we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is.
Thus says the LORD: Shout with joy
for Jacob, exult at the head of the
nations; proclaim your praise and
say: The LORD has delivered his
people, the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back from
the land of the north; I will gather
them from the ends of the world, with
the blind and the lame in their
midst, The mothers and those with
child; they shall return as an
immense throng.
They departed in tears, but I will
console them and guide them; I will
lead them to brooks of water, on a
level road, so that none shall
stumble. For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
In the same way, it was not Christ
who glorified himself in becoming
high priest, but rather the one who
said to him: "You are my son; this
day I have begotten you";
4
The LORD was pleased to crush him in
infirmity. If he gives his life as an
offering for sin, he shall see his
descendants in a long life, and the
will of the LORD shall be
accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction he shall
see the light in fullness of days;
Through his suffering, my servant
shall justify many, and their guilt
he shall bear.
R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on
us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is
full.
R. Lord, let
your mercy be on us, as we place our trust
in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those
who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let
your mercy be on us, as we place our trust
in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord,
let your mercy be on us, as we place our
trust in you.
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews
4:14-16):
5
Jesus said to them, "You do not know
what you are asking. Can you drink
the cup that I drink or be baptized
with the baptism with which I am
baptized?"
They said to him, "We can." Jesus
said to them, "The cup that I drink,
you will drink, and with the baptism
with which I am baptized, you will be
baptized;
6
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are
recognized as rulers over the
Gentiles lord it over them, and their
great ones make their authority over
them felt.
R. (14) Fill
us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. (14) Fill
us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all
our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you
afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. (14) Fill
us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our
God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. (14) Fill
us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews
4:12-13):
Indeed, the word of God is living and
effective, sharper than any two-edged
sword, penetrating even between soul
and spirit, joints and marrow, and
able to discern reflections and
thoughts of the heart.
You know the commandments: 'You shall
not kill; you shall not commit
adultery; you shall not steal; you
shall not bear false witness; you
shall not defraud; honor your father
and your mother.'"
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and
said to him, "You are lacking in one
thing. Go, sell what you have, and
give to (the) poor and you will have
treasure in heaven; then come, follow
me."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up
house or brothers or sisters or
mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the
gospel
who will not receive a hundred times
more now in this present age: houses
and brothers and sisters and mothers
and children and lands, with
persecutions, and eternal life in the
age to come.
So the LORD God formed out of the
ground various wild animals and
various birds of the air, and he
brought them to the man to see what
he would call them; whatever the man
called each of them would be its
name.
5
the man said: "This one, at last, is
bone of my bones and flesh of my
flesh; This one shall be called
'woman,' for out of 'her man' this
one has been taken."
For it was fitting that he, for whom
and through whom all things exist, in
bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their
salvation perfect through suffering.
When Jesus saw this he became
indignant and said to them, "Let the
children come to me; do not prevent
them, for the kingdom of God belongs
to such as these.
Then he embraced them and blessed
them, placing his hands on them.
------------------------
10/04/09- Video clip: Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Tommy talks about Jesus - As uncomfortable as this movie was to watch (I had no interest in seeing a movie about a transsexual rock star wannabe, but the music and the sheer amount of crap that happened to this character, made the movie interesting enough to keep my interest. Here's a good redeeming point of the movie in which a Christian fan of Hedwig's, named Tommy (who eventually steals his music and reaps the profits and fame), and sexual interest of Hedwig's, starts talking about Jesus:
3
The LORD then came down in the cloud
and spoke to Moses. Taking some of
the spirit that was on Moses, he
bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on
them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the
other Medad, were not in the
gathering but had been left in the
camp. They too had been on the list,
but had not gone out to the tent; yet
the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
But Moses answered him, "Are you
jealous for my sake? Would that all
the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his
spirit on them all!"
Responsorial Psalm
- Marty
Haugen's "Lord, You Have the Words":
Refrain: Lord, you
have the words of everlasting life.
1. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing
the soul;
the Lord's rule is to be trusted, the simple
find wisdom.
Refrain: Lord, you
have the words of everlasting life.
2. The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding
forever;
the decrees of the Lord are true, all of them
just.
Refrain: Lord, you
have the words of everlasting life.
3. The precepts of the Lord are right, they
gladden the heart,
the command of the Lord is clear, giving light
to the eye.
Refrain: Lord, you
have the words of everlasting life.
4. They are worth more than gold, than the
finest gold,
sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. James
(James 5:1-6):
your gold and silver
have corroded, and that corrosion
will be a testimony against you; it
will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the
last days.
Behold, the wages you
withheld from the workers who
harvested your fields are crying
aloud, and the cries of the
harvesters have reached the ears of
the Lord of hosts.
9
At that time John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out
demons in your name, and we tried to
prevent him because he does not
follow us."
"Whoever causes one of these little
ones who believe (in me) to sin, it
would be better for him if a great
millstone were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut
it off. It is better for you to enter
into life maimed than with two hands
to go into Gehenna, 10
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your eye causes you to sin,
pluck it out. Better for you to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into
Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and
the fire is not quenched.'
--------------------
09-27-09- "Jesus Loves You" -
This is
what happens when you try to literalize
everything about God from the Bible, while not
being familiar with the faith, the stories or
the books, and being presented with the mystery
of the triune nature of God (Father, Son and
Holy Spirit). And this is why I don't try
to convert people...wouldn't want to push them
away from God.
2
3
Let us beset the just one, because he
is obnoxious to us; he sets himself
against our doings, Reproaches us for
transgressions of the law and charges
us with violations of our training.
He was teaching his disciples and
telling them, "The Son of Man is to
be handed over to men and they will
kill him, and three days after his
death he will rise."
Say to those whose hearts are
frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here
is your God, he comes with
vindication; With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
R. (1b)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. (1b)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed
down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. (1b)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow the LORD
sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all
generations. Alleluia.
R. (1b)
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of James (James 2:1-5):
and you pay attention to the one
wearing the fine clothes and say,
"Sit here, please," while you say to
the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit
at my feet,"
Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not
God choose those who are poor
3 in
the world to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom that he promised
to those who love him?
Gospel - A reading from the Holy
Gospel according to St. Mark (Mark 7:31-37):
They were exceedingly astonished and
they said, "He has done all things
well. He makes the deaf hear and
(the) mute speak."
--------------------
09/06/09- South Park:
Kenny Saves Heaven in the final battle between
good and evil. Old episode full of great
social commentary, hilarious and fun. I
highly recommend watching the whole episode.
Sunday,
August 30, 2009:
(TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings for today: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,
6-8 / James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 / Mark 7:1-8,
14-15, 21-23
Reading I
- A reading from the book of Deuteronomy
(Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8):
"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and
decrees which I am teaching you to
observe, that you may live, and may
enter in and take possession of the
land which the LORD, the God of your
fathers, is giving you.
Observe them carefully, for thus will
you give evidence of your wisdom and
intelligence to the nations, who will
hear of all these statutes and say,
'This great nation is truly a wise
and intelligent people.'
R. (1a)One who does justice will
live in the presence of the Lord.
Whoever walks blamelessly and does
justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. One who
does justice will live in the presence of
the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his
neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. One who
does justice will live in the presence of
the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. One who
does justice will live in the presence of
the Lord.
Reading
II - A reading from the Letter of James (James
1:17-18, 21b-22, 27):
All good giving and every perfect
gift
9
is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is
no alteration or shadow caused by
change.
Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God and the Father is this: to
care for orphans and widows
15
in their affliction and to keep
oneself unstained by the world.
Gospel -
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.
Mark (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23):
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying
themselves. And there are many other
things that they have traditionally
observed, the purification of cups
and jugs and kettles (and beds).)
So the Pharisees and scribes
questioned him, "Why do your
disciples not follow the tradition of
the elders 3
but instead eat a meal with unclean
hands?"
He responded, "Well did Isaiah
prophesy about you hypocrites, as it
is written: 'This people honors me
with their lips, but their hearts are
far from me;
Joshua gathered together all the
tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their
leaders, their judges and their
officers. When they stood in ranks
before God,
3
If it does not please you to serve
the LORD, decide today whom you will
serve, the gods your fathers served
beyond the River or the gods of the
Amorites in whose country you are
dwelling. As for me and my household,
we will serve the LORD."
For it was the LORD, our God, who
brought us and our fathers up out of
the land of Egypt, out of a state of
slavery. He performed those great
miracles before our very eyes and
protected us along our entire journey
and among all the peoples through
whom we passed.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my
mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be
glad.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them
from the earth.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears
them,
and from all their distress he
rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in
spirit he saves.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
Many are the troubles of the just one,
but out of them all the LORD
delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be
broken.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading II - A
reading from the letter of St. Paul to the
Ephesians (Ephesians 5:21-32):
We have come to
believe and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God."
--------------------
08/23/09-
South Park clip: Satan's Hell on Earth
Halloween Party -
Satan plans his Halloween party on Earth, but
faces problems trying to balance his desire to
throw a cool party to impress everyone with his
selfish desires...and ends up offending every
one of his friends in Hell, as well as
the Catholic Church (for not inviting them).
I can't help cracking up at the priests with
their little naked boys on child leashes.
Too funny!
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with
joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD
heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (Ephesians
5:15-20):
I am the living bread that came down
from heaven; whoever eats this bread
will live forever; and the bread that
I will give is my flesh for the life
of the world."
This is the bread that came down from
heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate
and still died, whoever eats this
bread will live forever."
--------------------
08/16/09-
American Dad video link: These
just made me laugh, so I thought I'd share.
If you click and watch the link, Stan takes his angel hostage to
sneak into heaven to get help to save his
family...but first he must get past St. Peter.
Enjoy!
Elijah went a day's journey into the
desert, until he came to a broom tree
and sat beneath it. He prayed for
death: "This is enough, O LORD! Take
my life, for I am no better than my
fathers."
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and
see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
And delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and
see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with
joy.
And your faces may not blush with shame.
When the afflicted man called out, the
LORD heard,
And from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and
see the goodness of the Lord.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him and delivers
them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R.
Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:30--5:2):
I am the living bread that came down
from heaven; whoever eats this bread
will live forever; and the bread that
I will give is my flesh for the life
of the world."
--------------------
08/09/09- "Equilibrium" movie clip -
Equilibrium is a movie which appears to rip-off
or maybe do homage to The Matrix movie in
several ways, but yet stands on its own as an
original movie. The movie is set in a
society which has ended war and murder by
putting everyone on a drug that sounds like
Prozac to prevent anyone from feeling
feelings...which is believed to lead to said
crimes.
In this
clip, Christian Bales' character is
interviewing his ex-wife, a sense
violator (someone who chose to quit taking the
drug to feel again), as to her reasoning behind
sense violation. The clip seemed fitting
for the Ephesians reading.
The word
of God is clear that in life we will feel many
things and many of them will not be pleasant.
But feeling things is what makes life worth
living for. I guess the lesson of the
movie is to watch out not to turn yourself into
a robot by shutting down emotionally...a
rollercoaster ride is boring if there are no
highs and lows.
The Israelites said to them, "Would
that we had died at the LORD'S hand
in the land of Egypt, as we sat by
our fleshpots and ate our fill of
bread! But you had to lead us into
this desert to make the whole
community die of famine!"
2
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will
now rain down bread from heaven for
you. Each day the people are to go
out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them, to see whether
they follow my instructions or not.
"I have heard the grumbling of the
Israelites. Tell them: In the evening
twilight you shall eat flesh, and in
the morning you shall have your fill
of bread, so that you may know that
I, the LORD, am your God."
3
On seeing it, the Israelites asked
one another, "What is this?" for they
did not know what it was. But Moses
told them, "This is the bread which
the LORD has given you to eat.
What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
We will declare to the generation to come
the glorious deeds of the LORD and his
strength
and the wonders that he wrought.
R. The Lord
gave them bread from heaven.
He commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord
gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains his right hand had won.
R. The Lord
gave them bread from heaven.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24):
Jesus answered them and said, "Amen,
amen, I say to you, you are looking
for me not because you saw signs but
because you ate the loaves and were
filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for
eternal life, 15
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set
his seal."
17
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread
of life; whoever comes to me will
never hunger, and whoever believes in
me will never thirst.
--------------------
08/02/09: "They Live" -
While I was sick last week I got to watch a
great movie from the 80's starring Rowdy Roddy
Piper (former wrestler). The movie was
about how this man stumbles upon the truth that
there are forces out there controlling
humanity, and it seems sinister. I put
the clip here to act as a wake up call to
ourselves as to how we are living and how we
are treating humanity in general. Plus,
this movie KICKS ASS! Also, it fits in
with today's readings, what the street preacher
is saying.
In this
clip from the opening of the movie Roddy's
character stumbles upon a street preacher.
He listens to what he says until the police
arrive.
A man came from Baal-shalishah
bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the
first fruits, and fresh grain in the
ear. "Give it to the people to eat,"
Elisha said.
But his servant objected, "How can I
set this before a hundred men?" "Give
it to the people to eat," Elisha
insisted. "For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be
some left over.'"
R. (cf. 16)
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers
all our needs.
Let all your works give you thanks, O
LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your
kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The hand
of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our
needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due
season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living
thing.
R. The hand
of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our
needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R.
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers
all our needs.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:1-6):
Since Jesus knew that they were going
to come and carry him off to make him
king, he withdrew again to the
mountain alone.
--------------------
07/26/09-
They Live -
While I was sick (this weekend) I got to watch a
great movie from the 80's starring Rowdy Roddy
Piper (former wrestler). The movie was
about how this man stumbles upon the truth that
there are forces out there controlling
humanity, and it seems sinister. I put
the clip here to act as a wake up call to
ourselves as to how we are living and how we
are treating humanity in general. Plus,
this movie KICKS ASS!
Therefore, thus says
the LORD, the God of Israel, against
the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and
driven them away. You have not cared
for them, but I will take care to
punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather
the remnant of my flock from all the
lands to which I have driven them and
bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and
multiply.
Behold, the days are
coming, says the LORD, when I will
raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern
wisely, he shall do what is just and
right in the land.
abolishing
the law
with
its
commandments
and
legal
claims,
that he
might
create
in
himself
one new
person
9
in
place
of the
two,
thus
establishing
peace,
15
He said
to
them,
"Come
away by
yourselves
to a
deserted
place
and
rest a
while."
People
were
coming
and
going
in
great
numbers,
and
they
had no
opportunity
even to
eat.
When he
disembarked
and saw
the
vast
crowd,
his
heart
was
moved
with
pity
for
them,
for
they
were
like
sheep
without
a
shepherd;
and he
began
to
teach
them
many
things.
--------------------
07/19/09- Family
Guy clip: Jesus
guest stars on
Jay Leno:
In him you also, who have heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed 7
with the promised holy Spirit,
say to me: Son of man, I am sending
you to the Israelites, rebels who
have rebelled against me; they and
their fathers have revolted against
me to this very day.
And whether they heed or resist--for
they are a rebellious house--they
shall know that a prophet has been
among them.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm
123:1-2, 2, 3-4):
R.
(2cd) Our eyes are fixed on the
Lord, pleading for his mercy.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven —
As the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
R. Our eyes
are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his
mercy.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us.
R. Our eyes
are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his
mercy.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.
R.
Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading
for his mercy.
Reading II - A reading from the
second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (2
Corinthians 12:7-10):
That I, Paul, might not become
too elated, because of the abundance
of the revelations, 3
a thorn in the flesh was given to me,
an angel of Satan, to beat me, to
keep me from being too elated.
5
but he said to me, 6
"My grace is sufficient for you, for
power is made perfect in weakness." I
will rather boast most gladly of my
weaknesses, in order that the power
of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with
weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and constraints, for
the sake of Christ; for when I am
weak, then I am strong.
7
Gospel - A reading from the Holy
Gospel according to St. Mark (Mark 6:1-6):
2
When the sabbath came he began to
teach in the synagogue, and many who
heard him were astonished. They said,
"Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given
him? What mighty deeds are wrought by
his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, 3
the son of Mary, and the brother of
James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with
us?" And they took offense at him.
"A
Fourth of July Prayer -
We lift up our hearts, O God, on
this day of celebration in gratitude for the
gift of being Americans. We rejoice with
all those who share in the great dream of
freedom and dignity for all. With flags
and feasting, with family and friends, we
salute those who have sacrificed that we might
have the opportunity to bring to fulfillment
our many God-given gifts. As we deny all
prejudice a place in our hearts, may we also
clearly declare our intention to work for the
time when all people, regardless of race,
religion or sex, will be granted equal dignity
and worth.
Come, O gracious God, who led
your children Israel from slavery, keep us free
from all the might hold us in bondage.
Bless our country and join our simple
celebration that we may praise you, our Source
of freedom, the One in whom we place our trust.
(Ed Hayes, A Pilgrim’s Almanac: Reflections for
Each Day of the Year)"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
For he fashioned all things that they
might have being; and the creatures
of the world are wholesome, And there
is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the nether world on
earth,
R. (2a) I
will praise you, Lord, for you have
rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me
clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over
me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the
netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going
down into the pit.
R. I
will praise you, Lord, for you have
rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful
ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I
will praise you, Lord, for you have
rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you
thanks.
R.
I will praise you, Lord,
for you have rescued me.
Reading II - A reading from the
second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (2
Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15):
9
As you excel in
every respect, in faith, discourse,
knowledge, all earnestness, and in
the love we have for you, may you
excel in this gracious act also.
10
For you know the gracious act of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake
he became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might
become rich.
10
While he was still speaking, people
from the synagogue official's house
arrived and said, "Your daughter has
died; why trouble the teacher any
longer?"
And they ridiculed him. Then he put
them all out. He took along the
child's father and mother and those
who were with him and entered the
room where the child was.
"Prayer
for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious
Life - O
loving and gracious God, Father of all, you
bless your people in every time and season and
provide for their needs through your
providential care. Your Church is continually
in need of Priests, Sisters and Brothers to
offer themselves in the service of the Gospel
by lives of dedicated love.
Open
the hearts of your sons and daughters to listen
to your call in their lives. Give them the gift
of understanding to discern your invitation to
serve you and your Church. Give them the gift
of courage to follow your call. May they have
the spirit of young Samuel who found
fulfillment in his life when he said to you,
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”We
ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Redeemer. Amen. (Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza)"]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
R. (1b) Give
thanks to the Lord, his love is
everlasting.
They who sailed the sea in ships,
trading on the deep waters,
These saw the works of the LORD
and his wonders in the abyss.
R. Give
thanks to the Lord, his love is
everlasting.
His command raised up a storm wind
which tossed its waves on high.
They mounted up to heaven; they sank to
the depths;
their hearts melted away in their plight.
R. Give
thanks to the Lord, his love is
everlasting.
They cried to the LORD in their distress;
from their straits he rescued them,
He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze,
and the billows of the sea were stilled.
R. Give
thanks to the Lord, his love is
everlasting.
They rejoiced that they were calmed,
and he brought them to their desired
haven.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his
kindness
and his wondrous deeds to the children of
men.
R.
Give thanks to the Lord, his love is
everlasting.
Reading
II - A reading from the second letter of St.
Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians
5:14-17):
Consequently, 11
from now on we regard no one
according to the flesh; even if we
once knew Christ according to the
flesh, yet now we know him so no
longer.
10
They were filled with great awe and
said to one another, "Who then is
this whom even wind and sea obey?"
--------------------
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[FROM THE SFDS PARISH BULLETIN
for Sunday, June 21, 2009 (link):
"Father's
Day Blessing - God our Father, in your
wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless these men, that they may be strengthened
as Christian fathers. Let the example of
their faith and love shine forth. Grant
that we, their sons and daughters, may honor
them always with a spirit of profound respect.
Sunday,
June 14, 2009:
(SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF
CHRIST) Readings for today: Exodus
24:3-8 / Hebrews 9:11-15 / Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
Reading I
- A reading from the book of Exodus (Exodus
24:3-8):
When Moses came to the people and
related all the words and ordinances
of the LORD, they all answered with
one voice, "We will do everything
that the LORD has told us."
1
Moses then wrote down all the words
of the LORD and, rising early the
next day, he erected at the foot of
the mountain an altar and twelve
pillars for the twelve tribes of
Israel.
Then he took the blood and sprinkled
it on the people, saying, "This is
the blood of the covenant which the
LORD has made with you in accordance
with all these words of his."
R. (13) I
will take the cup of salvation, and call
on the name of the Lord.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will
take the cup of salvation, and call on the
name of the Lord.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your
handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will
take the cup of salvation, and call on the
name of the Lord.
To you will I offer sacrifice of
thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. I
will take the cup of salvation, and call
on the name of the Lord.
Reading II - A reading from the
letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews
9:11-15):
9
When Christ came as high priest of
the good things that have come to be,
10
passing through the greater and more
perfect tabernacle not made by hands,
that is, not belonging to this
creation,