Sunday, March 17, 2019

Serving God can be frightening, but God wants/helps us to have courage (Readings for March 17, 2019)

Key:
What these scriptures tell us about God
What these scriptures tell us to do
What these scriptures tell us not to do
Commentary
Hyperlinks to additional resources

The Lord God took Abram outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be." Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

He then said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession." "O Lord GOD," he asked, "how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He answered him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge; of 
whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of 
my call; have pity on me, and answer me.Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek. Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORDin the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with couragebe stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

This psalm sets forth some of the principles set out in the scriptures collected inWisdom Principles--FortitudeSee also the scriptures collected in  Wisdom Principles: God's Way's Give Security and Wisdom Principles: We Must Make Real Effort/Sacrifice to Receive All that God Offers, But It Is Well Worth It

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their "shame." Their minds are occupied with earthly thingsBut our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way 
stand firm in the Lord.

Verse Before the Gospel  Matthew 17:5
From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, hear him.

Gospel Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to prayWhile he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his gloryand the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightenedwhen they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

What these scriptures tell us about God
"I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation
The LORD is my life's refuge;
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
You are my helper
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
the bounty of the LORD
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray
While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, 
they saw his glory
they became frightened
"This is my chosen Son; listen to him”

What these scriptures tell us to do
Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness
whom should I fear?
whom should I be afraid?
my call
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks
Your presence, O LORD, I seek
believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
Wait for the LORD with courage
be stouthearted
wait for the LORD.
Join with others in being imitators of me
stand firm in the Lord
listen to him

What these scriptures tell us not to do
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ
Their minds are occupied with earthly things

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