Marriage in the Old Testament Excerpt Most Old Testament texts about marriage reflect Israelite agrarian society in the early Iron Age. Families lived off the produce of the earth. Men, women, and children needed to work the land and to process its yield in order to survive. The family property was owned and managed by the male head of the household, who wo […]
The Gifts of the Magi Matthew 2:9–12 Excerpt What the Magi recognize as divine guidance fills them, literally, with exceedingly great joy (v. 10). They find the mother and child and prostrate themselves before him in worship. The gifts used to honor the new king were typically associated with royalty. Because Matthew has not yet introduced the theme of Jesus […]
Wilberforce, William Excerpt WILBERFORCE, WILLIAM (1759–1833) English philanthropist; antislavery crusader Born in Hull, Wilberforce studied in desultory fashion at Cambridge, then in 1780 entered Parliament and became a strong supporter of William Pitt, who persuaded Wilberforce to devote himself to the abolition of the slave trade. In this case, he oppo […]
Elisabeth’s Reaction to Mary Excerpt There is a great contrast between the behavior of the two women when they met in Elisabeth’s house. The elder was full of a new strange ecstatic joy. “She was filled with the Holy Ghost” (ver. 42) and spoke her words of lofty congratulation with “a loud voice” (ver. 42). Mary, on the other hand, was not conscious evidentl […]
Today WEDNESDAY OF THE TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Catholic Daily Readings First Reading Jdg 9:6–15 Response Ps 21:2a Psalm Ps 21:2–7 Gospel Acclamation Heb 4:12 Gospel Mt 20:1–16 God is your Pilot and not your co-pilot. YAHWEH should be first in all things; First in your life above everything; YAHWEH is always first in everything; It is His will and not […]
WEDNESDAY AFTER PROPER 15 Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings Psalm Ps 87 or Ps 130 First Reading Is 66:18–23 or Ge 45:16–28 Second Reading Mt 8:1–13 God is your Pilot and not your co-pilot. YAHWEH should be first in all things; First in your life above everything; YAHWEH is always first in everything; It is His will and not your will. Have a blessed da […]
WEDNESDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK AFTER TRINITY, MORNING PRAYER Book of Common Prayer (1928) Daily Office Lectionary Psalm Ps 44 First Reading 1 Sa 20:24–39 Second Reading Lk 20:9–26 God is your Pilot and not your co-pilot. YAHWEH should be first in all things; First in your life above everything; YAHWEH is always first in everything; It is His will and not you […]
August 23: God the Innovator Isaiah 45:14–47:15; Luke 18:9–19:10; Job 10:11–22 Innovators often say they learn more from their failures than their successes. The successes come as a result of repeated failures, whether in business or in life. We must learn from our mistakes if we are to expect a different, brighter future. God expects us to learn from our fa […]
Morning, August 23 Go To Evening Reading “The voice of weeping shall be no more heard.” —Isaiah 65:19 The glorified weep no more, for all outward causes of grief are gone. There are no broken friendships, nor blighted prospects in heaven. Poverty, famine, peril, persecution, and slander, are unknown there. No pain distresses, no thought of […]
August 23rd Prayer choice and prayer conflict When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father which is in secret. Matthew 6:6. Jesus did not say—‘Dream about thy Father in secret,’ but ‘pray to thy Father in secret.’ Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is […]
