Focus on and trust God in the midst of chaos/evil, diligently and humbly perform the work He gives you (readings for Nov. 17, 2019, Lectionary 159)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What these scriptures tell us not to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1 Malachi 3:19-20 

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth, he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Reading 2 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone.  On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.  Not that we do not have the right.  Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.  In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.  Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

Alleluia Luke 21:28  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Stand erect and raise your headsbecause your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLuke 21:5-19  

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" 

He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."  Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

"Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.  It will lead to your giving testimony.  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.  You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.  You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

What these scriptures tell us about God

all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble

the day that is coming will set them on fire
leaving them neither root nor branch

the LORD of hosts

But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice
The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice
The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice
he comes to rule the earth

he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity
The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice
All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down

I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.  

What these scriptures tell us to do

Sing praise to the LORD 

sing joyfully before the King, the LORD

imitate us

night and day we worked

imitate us

work quietly 

eat their own food

Stand erect and raise your heads

See that you not be deceived

many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! 

do not be terrified

you are not to prepare your defense beforehand

By your perseverance you will secure your lives

What these scriptures tell us not to do

the proud 

evildoers 

act in a disorderly way 

not to burden any of you

if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat

conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way

not keeping busy 

minding the business of others

Additional scriptures dealing with the principles highlighted in today’s readings are collected at Wisdom Principles: Stay focused on God & what He has given you to do; Don’t Be Distracted by Other Things;Wisdom Principles: Rely on God, not Material Power or Wealth; and Wisdom Principles: Diligence & Working.

God’s faithfulness, and our souls, extend beyond our physical lives. We must bravely, prayerfully, and actively cleave to Him during our physical lives (readings for Nov. 10, 2019, Lectionary 156)

Key:

What the scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.  One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?  We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors."

At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.  It is for his laws that we are dying."

After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.  When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 

R. (15b)  Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered.I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Reading 2 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith.

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.  We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

Alleluia Revelation 1:5, 6 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead; to him be glory and power, forever and ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 20:27-38  

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.  Finally, the woman also died.  Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her."

Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.  That the dead will riseeven Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, ' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

What these scriptures tell us about God

the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever

It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.

the hope God gives of being raised up by him

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full

you will answer me

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full

in justice shall behold your face

I shall be content in your presence.

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full

given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

the Lord is faithful

he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God

the endurance of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead

to him be glory and power, forever and ever

They can no longer die
for they are like angels

they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.  

the dead will rise

What these scriptures tell us to do

the young man's courage

my outcry
prayer from lips without deceit
My steps have been steadfast in your paths

my feet have not faltered
I call upon you

pray for us

what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do.

Other scriptures addressing the principles highlighted in today’s readings are collected at We Must Make Real Effort/Sacrifice to receive all that God offers, But It Is Well Worth It

God is powerful beyond our understanding, but loves and actively seeks us. We should whole-heartedly, unreservedly, constantly respond to Him. (Readings for Nov. 3, 2019, Lectionary 153)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What the scriptures tell us to do

What these scriptures tell us not to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1 Wisdom 11:22-12:2  

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
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. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Reading 2 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 

We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Alleluia John 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 19:1-10  

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."  And he came down quickly and received him with joy.

When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."  But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seekand to savewhat was lost."

What these scriptures tell us about God

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew

you have mercy on all

you can do all things

you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made

you spare all things, because they are yours

lover of souls,
you rebuke offenders little by little

warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

my king and my God.
my God and King

my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful

slow to anger

of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all

compassionate toward all his works.
my king and my God.
my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words

holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling

raises up all who are bowed down.
my king and my God.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son

everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Zacchaeus,come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house

the Son of Man has come to seekand to savewhat was lost

What these scriptures tell us to do

praise your name for ever

bless your name forever 
Every day will I blessyou

I will praise your name forever and ever.praise your name for ever

praise your name for ever

give you thanks

bless you.
discourse of the glory of your kingdom

speak of your might.praise your name for ever
praise your name for ever

We always pray for you

Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him

was seeking to see who Jesus was

he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus

come down quickly

he came down quickly and received him with joy. Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over

What these scriptures tell us not to do.

not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed

they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.

God is truly Awesome. He is the Source of life and salvation. We should humbly, earnestly, strive to come to Him (Readings for Nov. 1, 2019, Solemnity of All Saints, Lectionary 667)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1 Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, 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, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.

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 in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb."

All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed:

"Amen.  Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever.  Amen."

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"

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; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 2-4, 5-6  

R. 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 21 John 3 

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 we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Alleluia Matthew 11:28  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 5:1-12 

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."

What these scriptures tell us about God

a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. 

Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb
Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever

The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it.
he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior

what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.
we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed
we shall be like him

we shall see him as he is

I will give you rest

He began to teach them

What these scriptures tell us to do

They cried out in a loud voice
angels stood around the throne 

They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God 

whose hands are sinless

whose heart is clean

who desires not what is vain.

makes himself pure, as he is pure

Come to me

his disciples came to him

poor in spirit

mourn

meek

hunger and thirst for righteousness

merciful

clean of heart

peacemakers