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radical-revolution · 6 months

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Falling In Love With The Earth

This beautiful, bounteous, life-giving planet we call Earth has given birth to each one of us, and each one of us carries the Earth within every cell of our body.

We and the Earth are one

The Earth is our mother, nourishing and protecting us in every moment–giving us air to breathe, fresh water to drink, food to eat and healing herbs to cure us when we are sick. Every breath we inhale contains our planet’s nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and trace elements. When we breathe with mindfulness, we can experience our interbeing with the Earth’s delicate atmosphere, with all the plants, and even with the sun, whose light makes possible the miracle of photosynthesis. With every breath we can experience communion. With every breath we can savor the wonders of life.

We need to change our way of thinking and seeing things. We need to realise that the Earth is not just our environment. The Earth is not something outside of us. Breathing with mindfulness and contemplating your body, you realise that you are the Earth. You realise that your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth. Look around you–what you see is not your environment, it is you.

Great Mother Earth

Whatever nationality or culture we belong to, whatever religion we follow, whether we’re Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, or atheists, we can all see that the Earth is not inert matter. She is a great being, who has herself given birth to many other great beings–including buddhas and bodhisattvas, prophets and saints, sons and daughters of God and humankind. The Earth is a loving mother, nurturing and protecting all peoples and all species without discrimination.

When you realize the Earth is so much more than simply your environment, you’ll be moved to protect her in the same way as you would yourself. This is the kind of awareness, the kind of awakening that we need, and the future of the planet depends on whether we’re able to cultivate this insight or not. The Earth and all species on Earth are in real danger. Yet if we can develop a deep relationship with the Earth, we’ll have enough love, strength and awakening in order to change our way of life.

Falling In Love

We can all experience a feeling of deep admiration and love when we see the great harmony, elegance and beauty of the Earth. A simple branch of cherry blossom, the shell of a snail or the wing of a bat – all bear witness to the Earth’s masterful creativity. Every advance in our scientific understanding deepens our admiration and love for this wondrous planet. When we can truly see and understand the Earth, love is born in our hearts. We feel connected. That is the meaning of love: to be at one.

Only when we’ve truly fallen back in love with the Earth will our actions spring from reverence and the insight of our interconnectedness. Yet many of us have become alienated from the Earth. We are lost, isolated and lonely. We work too hard, our lives are too busy, and we are restless and distracted, losing ourselves in consumption. But the Earth is always there for us, offering us everything we need for our nourishment and healing: the miraculous grain of corn, the refreshing stream, the fragrant forest, the majestic snow-capped mountain peak, and the joyful birdsong at dawn.

True Happiness is made of Love

Many of us think we need more money, more power or more status before we can be happy. We’re so busy spending our lives chasing after money, power and status that we ignore all the conditions for happiness already available. At the same time, we lose ourselves in buying and consuming things we don’t need, putting a heavy strain on both our bodies and the planet. Yet much of what we drink, eat, watch, read or listen to, is toxic, polluting our bodies and minds with violence, anger, fear and despair.

As well as the carbon dioxide pollution of our physical environment, we can speak of the spiritual pollution of our human environment: the toxic and destructive atmosphere we’re creating with our way of consuming. We need to consume in such a way that truly sustains our peace and happiness. Only when we’re sustainable as humans will our civilization become sustainable. It is possible to be happy in the here and the now.

We don’t need to consume a lot to be happy; in fact we can live very simply. With mindfulness, any moment can become a happy moment. Savoring one simple breath, taking a moment to stop and contemplate the bright blue sky, or to fully enjoy the presence of a loved one, can be more than enough to make us happy. Each one of us needs to come back to reconnect with ourselves, with our loved ones and with the Earth. It’s not money, power or consuming that can make us happy, but having love and understanding in our heart.

The bread in your hand is the body of the cosmos

We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. And yet many of us consume in a way that is very violent. Forests are cut down to raise cattle for beef, or to grow grain for liquor, while millions in the world are dying of starvation. Reducing the amount of meat we eat and alcohol we consume by 50% is a true act of love for ourselves, for the Earth and for one another. Eating with compassion can already help transform the situation our planet is facing, and restore balance to ourselves and the Earth.

Nothing is more important than brotherhood and sisterhood

There’s a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us. We need to wake up and fall in love with Earth. We’ve been homo sapiens for a long time. Now it’s time to become homo conscius. Our love and admiration for the Earth has the power to unite us and remove all boundaries, separation and discrimination. Centuries of individualism and competition have brought about tremendous destruction and alienation. We need to re-establish true communication–true communion–with ourselves, with the Earth, and with one another as children of the same mother. We need more than new technology to protect the planet. We need real community and co-operation.

All civilisations are impermanent and must come to an end one day. But if we continue on our current course, there’s no doubt that our civilisation will be destroyed sooner than we think. The Earth may need millions of years to heal, to retrieve her balance and restore her beauty. She will be able to recover, but we humans and many other species will disappear, until the Earth can generate conditions to bring us forth again in new forms. Once we can accept the impermanence of our civilization with peace, we will be liberated from our fear. Only then will we have the strength, awakening and love we need to bring us together. Cherishing our precious Earth–falling in love with the Earth–is not an obligation. It is a matter of personal and collective happiness and survival. – Thich Nhat Hanh.

Written for Paris Climate Talk in 2015

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tawakkull · 8 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 133

Karama (Wonder)

Before explaining karama, since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles.

Derived from the root verb A-Ja-Za, meaning “that which people cannot imitate,” a mu’jiza (miracle) is the extraordinary state, event, word or attitude which God creates at the hands of a Prophet to show the truth of Prophethood, confirm the Religion, and generate conviction and contentment in the hearts of believers. It is beyond the power and ability of other people. A Prophet works a miracle according to God’s will in order to demonstrate his Prophethood in an undeniable and indisputable way. The miracle is created by God, not the Prophet. The Qur’an, other Divine Scriptures, and the Prophetic Traditions all mention numerous miracles worked by the Prophets, and refer to the consequences of believing or not believing in them.

As for karama (wonder), this word is derived from karam, the root meaning of which is honor, munificence, and bounty. Karama is used to designate extraordinary states, words, acts, and effects displayed by saints through God’s will and creation. To give a more detailed description, the extraordinary states displayed by the Prophets to demonstrate their Prophethood are “miracles,” while such states exhibited by the saints who have succeeded in purifying their souls and refining their hearts in adherence to the true Religion are considered to be “wonders.” Similar extraordinary states and acts can sometimes be witnessed in some people who have no belief in and adherence to the true Religion. But these states and acts are called “gradual perdition,” as they usually cause particularly the unjust, dissolute and sinful people gradually to descend into perdition.

From another viewpoint, a wonder (karama) is an extra miracle like gift of God with which He honors His servants who love and obey Him and whom He loves; it is God’s unusual or exceptional treatment of these servants for following the Prophet. The beloved people of God have divided this treatment into the spiritualkarama and the karama that is beyond the normal laws of life and creation:

The spiritual karama or wonder is the sum of perfect belief, good deeds, sound knowledge of God, heartfelt love for God, and perfect devotion to God, the Ultimate Truth. The people of God usually refer to this state, which is a gift from God, when they talk about karama. Profundity in knowledge and efforts to disseminate it, effectiveness in endeavors to guide others, the effort to love God and make others love Him, and the resolution and performance displayed to enable the Muhammadi spirit to blossom throughout the world can also be included as examples of this kind of Divine gift or karama. As for the wonders that are beyond the normal laws of life and creation, they consist of certain extraordinary performances such as increasing a little food or drink without making any addition, being able to remain hungry for days without eating or drinking anything, covering great distances in a very short time, being present in many places at the same instant, walking on water without sinking, and moving some objects from afar. The devoted people of God have never considered such performances as a virtue, nor have they sought them; if God creates such things in their hands, they try to conceal them. Fearing that such extraordinary performances may be the cause of gradual perdition, the faithful servants at the door of God have turned to God with repentance, penitence, and contrition, scrutinized their sincerity, and renewed their devotion from the heart. Furthermore, some of them have likened such wonders to playthings of children and never attached any importance to them. The respected scholarly saint Ahmad ar-Rifai maintained that such wonders should be kept concealed, and he emphasized following the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Some others with the same approach have regarded wonders such as flying in the air and walking on water as the acts of some animals, and stressed that the main wonder is being able constantly to pursue God’s good pleasure and approval while trying to remain distant from other kinds of extraordinariness. They have prayed, saying, “O my God! Favor my ‘secret’ with familiarity of Your Essence, and do not test me as one who is familiar with Your secrets!” They have preferred to remain shut off from all other kinds of extraordinariness than belief, knowledge of God, and love of God, and they have not even sought spiritual pleasures. Nevertheless, there may be some sincere ones who view wonderworking as a gift from God and make it a means of praising and thanking Him. However, it is always possible for those who have not yet been able to purify their souls completely to fall into conceit and pride. For this reason, if such a gift and performance, which is regarded as a fruit of nearness to God Almighty, causes one to become distant from God instead, then it must be more prudent to keep one’s heart distant from everything, including spiritual pleasures, other than His approval and good pleasure purely for His sake.

However, miracles are not like wonders. First of all, since miracles are displayed to confirm a Prophet in his Prophethood, to silence the opposing side, and reinforce the believers, they concern the spirit of the Divine Messengership, and a Messenger is obliged to display them when necessary. For Prophethood is one of the basic pillars of the Religion, and the most important support of religious life. Miracles are granted to draw attention to this pillar and support, and they are able to silence the opposition. Miracles have other benefits such as reinforcing the believers, offering a proof for the truth of the Divine Message to those who are sincere in their quest for the Straight Path, and depriving the obstinate unbelievers of their excuse for denial. It is for all these reasons that Prophets are obliged to display miracles.

Numerous books have been written concerning the meaning, content, sorts, and truth of miracles. The Nineteenth Letter, included in The Letters by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, is one of them. Those who want more information about miracles, in particular the miracles of our Prophet, may refer to those books. Here we will be content with a quotation from Mawlana Shibli an-Nu’mani[1] about the spiritual life of our Master, upon him be peace and blessings:

Just as the “natural” world has disciplines and laws of its own, manifested in whatever takes place in it, such as the alternation of the day and night, and the spring and the winter, and the opening of flowers in spring, the trees yielding fruits in summer, and the harmonious movement of some stars in the heavens, so too does the world of spirituality have laws and rules particular to it. In the same way that the sun, the moon, the stars, and the events that take place on the earth display continuity according to certain laws that have been appointed for each, guidance and deviance, mercy and punishment, the Divine Messengership and the realities relating to it occur in accordance with certain Divine laws. The Prophets are chosen by God and sent at the time which He wills. People either accept or reject them. Those who accept them and believe are saved, while the others, who reject them, suffer loss and punishment. As a dimension of the struggle between the Prophets and those who reject them, God Almighty creates certain wonders that are beyond our capacity at the hands of those perfect ones whom He chose and sent to us as His Messengers…

However, just as we are unable to know completely how the flowers come into existence in spring or how the trees yield their fruits, of which we are in need, or how some stars move around their appointed orbits, or why the trees grow from seeds, or how the seeds are formed, or the exact nature of the mysterious relationship between our bodies and the sustenance we take, so too we cannot comprehend fully or exactly why the Prophets are chosen as Prophets and sent at different times. We can only know the fact that some persons are chosen and sent to certain people with the mission of Prophethood, and that they realize important revolutions, concentrating on such basic matters as belief and religious life.

In fact, it is a miracle that the Prophets emerge as Prophets, and all the states of their manners are silent proofs of their Prophethood. Those with open eyes immediately know and understand them without needing another sign; those who are not deaf know them from their messages; and those who are able to use their intellects confirm them. But there have always been others with a lower level of sight, hearing, and understanding. Therefore, in order not to deprive the latter of knowing the Prophets, God Almighty created miracles which would cause their guidance and silence the deniers. As a matter of fact, miracles were displayed to such people. Indeed no one among those who were fortunate enough to recognize the Prophets by virtue of their good conduct and character demanded miracles from the Prophets.

Distinguished personalities such as Aaron and Joshua, who were in the company of the Prophet Moses, and the Apostles around the Prophet Jesus, and “the first and foremost” to embrace Islam from among the Companions of our Master, upon him be peace and blessings, never demanded miracles. They unhesitatingly confirmed their Prophets, whom they knew by their absolute truthfulness, their trustworthiness, their dedication to their cause and communication of God’s Message, their sinlessness, and unerring and undeceiving intelligence and prudence, their straightforwardness in their relationship with people, and their untainted altruism.

Those distinguished followers of the Prophets never demanded miracles; but if they witnessed some miracles of their Prophets, this increased their confidence in their way and urged them even more to follow it with greater zeal.

As for the others, such as the Nimrods, Pharaohs, and Abu Jahls,[2] they insistently demanded miracles from the Prophets; but when they witnessed the miracles, such as the fire being cool and peaceful for the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace (21:68–69), the Flood, in which the people of the Prophet Noah, upon him be peace, drowned (11:42; 54:12), the invasion of the residences of Pharaoh’s clan by floods, locusts, vermin and frogs, and water turning into blood while the Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, was still in Egypt (7:133), and the moon being split into two by the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, (54: 1), they described them as magic and continued in their obstinate denial. There were indeed those who came to belief from among those who witnessed these and similar other miracles, but the others who insisted in their denial did not abandon their way. Nevertheless, many among the believers increased in their belief, certainty, and conviction in the face of such unusual Divine acts. After having assigned tens of pages to the meaning, content, and nature of the miracles, Shibli an-Nu’mani then gives answers to the objections raised by some concerning the miracles. He sums up his views as follows:

A miracle is an extraordinary accomplishment created by God at the hands of a person who has been distinguished with Prophethood and who possesses its basic characteristics; it is not possible for us to perceive how it actually occurs. Although miracles are extraordinary, they are not impossible. Even though they are rare with respect to their occurrence, they are accomplishments which the infinitely Powerful One has created time and again. Such extraordinary events do not show continuity like what we perceive as ordinary “natural” events. However, it is only because of their continuity that we view those latter events as ordinary. Each of them is, in fact, a miracle; indeed, all events of creation, origination, giving life, and causing to die, as well as many others, are miracles. Since the miracles of the Prophets happen outside what we see as the “usual or normal laws of nature,” we call them miracles. What we see as normal or usual laws of nature are, in fact, excuses for us to be able to observe and describe what we call “natural events” and continue our life. Such events have no creative effect at all in their own coming into existence. Belief is not always the result of an apparent effect or sense- perception. Seeing is something, while comprehension is another thing, and evaluating our sense-perceptions is completely different from both. As for belief, it is a spirit or meaning which Divine Will kindles in the consciences of those who can evaluate, free of any prejudice. No one can kindle it by means of apparent causes. The emergence of such a spirit or meaning in the heart or conscience partly depends on being open to believing in the Unseen. The haughty, obstinate ones, the unjust deniers, the distorting commentators, and those who crawl in the net of false imitations can in no wise attain belief unless extra Divine aid comes. If a conscience is open to the Unseen and ready to believe, its owner believes in both miracles and the message intended by them.[3] * * *

The considerations of Elmalili Hamdi Yazir concerning the subject are also worth quoting. After setting forth a powerful defense in his monumental Qur’anic commentary against the thinkers and philosophers who deny miracles, he gives invaluable explanations, which we can summarize as follows:

We do not have substantiated or confirmed information about how the “law of causality,” which we regard as responsible for the apparent continuity of “natural” events, works in nature. We have only partial and relative knowledge about this matter. For this reason, we have no right either to deny the forces originating in Divine acts and wisdom, and the substantial causes the Almighty creates and employs, or to regard the law of causality as an absolute principle responsible for everything that happens, thus attributing impotence to the Absolute Divine Power by claiming that “that thing is impossible.” Leaving the existence of the spirit aside, simply, the speed in the shining and extinguishing or the appearance and disappearance of a light shows us the rapid events of creation and extinction that happen. But unfortunately, those with hardened hearts are blind to all these observable and similar occurrences and drown in despair in every matter which their narrow minds cannot grasp and with which they are entangled. More than that, among those are some who never accede to anything which does not suit their interests or taste, even if that thing is a truth, nor do they avoid committing any wrong to fight with it. Each of these is a pharaoh, and what they do is pharaohship (absolute despotism).[4] Humankind has seen many pharaohs, ranging from those who claim divinity to those who deny everything beyond matter, from those who use humans like slaves and brutalize them to those who regard them as animals, from those who put a ban on the freedom of thought and speech to those who degrade and mock the Religion and religious life, and from those who ignore the events that are extraordinary in occurrence or spiritually to those who deny the limitlessness of the Power. Even though these pharaohs are not based on any right or substantiated truth in their claims and actions, they have been able to impose their wishes on the masses with brute force. Without needing to justify their plans even once, they have always applied brute force with the belief that “might is right.” These are such rebellious spirits that they neither recognize God and the Prophet nor accept Messengership and the miracles. They are examples of those who have disrespect for both the creation and the Infinite Power Which creates. It is useless to spend time hoping whether they will reform their ways; what we should do concerning them is to avoid provoking them so that they do not bite people. Both miracles and wonders are manifestations of Divine favor for unprejudiced persons and acts of stirring up certain inherent tendencies. Even if thousands of such acts are displayed before those with deformed characters, they are not in the least affected by them.

Even though miracles and wonders resemble each other in appearance and occurrence, they are different in essence. Miracles are extraordinary states or events that confirm the truthfulness of the Prophets in their claim of Prophethood. They are the means of coming to belief and salvation for some, while they cause the destruction of haughtily obstinate ones. As for wonders, they are special favors of God Almighty bestowed for adherence to Prophets.

Miracles are displayed to confirm the claim of Prophethood and silence the deniers, while wonders are and should be kept concealed as a mystery of God so long as there is not something that requires their exhibition.

Besides being a proof for Prophethood, miracles are such exceptional Divine gifts which awaken hearts to the Divine Message that they are binding on anyone who witnesses them or hears of them from a reliable source. As for wonders, they are God’s gifts that are particular to those who have been favored with them and are binding on no one.

When a Prophet works a miracle, he can comfortably describe that extraordinary state, action, or word, which God Almighty has created in his hands as a miracle; indeed, he is obliged to display it. But at whatever level they are, saints cannot claim any similar extraordinary accomplishment when they are favored with a wonder. More than that, they shudder with fear that such an accomplishment may be the beginning of their gradual perdition, or that they are consuming here the fruits that will be given to them in the Hereafter for their good deeds.

A Prophet who works miracles proclaims his mission with a miracle, using it as grounds for conveying his Message and the fundamentals of the religious life he must communicate. As for the saintly people of God, they see whatever gift and effulgence they are favored with only as a reflection of the miracles of the Prophet they follow.

A miracle indicates the truth of the office of Prophethood, which is one of the essential pillars of Divine Religion, while wonders and other accomplishments or Divine gifts, such as the discovery of some realities that are hidden to common people, are evaluated as the fruits of following a Prophet.

Truthfulness, trustworthiness, freedom from sin and any mental or physical defect, intellect or perfect sagacity, and being a Prophet receiving Divine Revelation are the prerequisites for any unusual accomplishment or state to be accepted as a miracle. However, in addition to the fact that a saint favored with wonder-working can never be regarded, and indeed never is, as a Prophet, he or she is not necessarily expected to have perfected the other attributes mentioned as well.

As discussed before briefly, a Prophet displays extraordinary things by God’s creation, and is doubtlessly certain that they are miracles—but saints feel doubt about the extraordinary things that originate from them whether purposely or unaware, because unless these are intended for guidance knowingly, they may be a test for them involving the risk of loss.

It is a fact that sometimes, because of some necessity or need, and sometimes with the intention of serving a religious purpose or under the unavoidable influence of the spiritual state they are in, some saintly people of God may display some extraordinary things within the limits of Divine permission. However, they should view this Divine gift as a reward for their adherence to the Prophet they are believing in and following, and never attempt to use it as a means of personal credit. Whether a saintly friend of God works it knowingly, or it appears purely as an unexpected Divine gift, a wonder resembles a miracle with respect to its occurrence. For example, miracle- like wonders, such as being unexpectedly offered some food or water in time of dire hunger or thirst, exhibiting extraordinary behavior in time of war, covering a great distance or extraordinarily performing many things in a very short time (shortening of distances or expansion of time, respectively), breathing temporary life by God’s leave to someone who has just died, walking on water without sinking, and traveling in the air as if flying, like the Prophet Solomon, upon him be peace, have been frequently witnessed.

Both the Qur’an and the books of the reliably narrated sayings of our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, mention similar and other kinds of miracles worked by different Prophets. We read about many extraordinary states, action, and words of respectful saints in the books that narrate their lives. Here we will be content with a few examples:

We read in the Qur’an (2:49) that the Prophet Jesus, upon him be peace, revived the dead by God’s leave. Similarly, it is narrated in reliable books that just like some saintly people of God, such as Abu Ubayd al-Busri,[5] Shaykh Ahdal,[6] and Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani, revived dead animals. When, during a war, Abu Ubayd beseeched God to revive his dead horse, God Almighty restored the horse to life. Shaykh Ahdal called to his cat that had just died, and the cat was revived by God’s leave and approached him. Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani ordered the bones of a consumed chicken, “Rise up, by God’s leave!” and the chicken came to life and stood up. These are only a few examples; many others can be found in relevant books. It is narrated in the same books that some saints, such as Abu Sa’id al-Harraz[7] and Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani, spoke with corpses. There are many other miracle-like wonders worked by saints, such as flowing water parting and opening a passage for the saints, some saints not dying even though they were poisoned many times, the shortening of distances, wild animals serving them, their prayers being instantly accepted, their being prevented from eating and drinking any forbidden thing, their observing events that occurred in distant places, and their being protected against their enemies. All these events demonstrate that wonder-working is undeniably real, and some saintly friends of God have been honored with it. The extraordinary states and actions which proceeded from our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, from his birth until his Prophethood, are of the same nature as wonder-working. However, the wonders and gifts which are, in one respect, a means of honor for saints, are only of a primordial degree in proportion to the gifts and honors of the office of Prophethood, and they are regarded as drops that emerge from the atmosphere of the Prophet whom the saints follow. For this reason, the friends of God never think of using such Divine favors in promoting themselves, nor do they pursue them. Neither do they damage their relationship with God based on their servanthood by making use of them for personal credit. They try their best to keep the favors that come without demand concealed, and they even check their relationship with their Lord, fearing that these acts may be a test for them. They renew their devotion to Him and only pursue His approval and good pleasure. This is what is most suited to the faithful servants of God, the Ultimate Truth.

Those faithful servants of God turn to Him a few times a day with the petition of their awareness and admission of their innate impotence and poverty; they are enraptured with the joy of being the servants at His door and always move with thankfulness for being on His way. They are in turmoil with the hope of attaining His constant company. Consequently, they are shut off from anything— whether it is a spiritual discovery or wonder-working, or spiritual pleasures, or any other kind of favor—other than intense longing to meet with God. They consider themselves to be nothing within nothing, recognizing others as much more virtuous than themselves, always living as examples of utmost humility and the deepest sincerity toward God, and they are so compassionate and magnanimous toward people that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for their happiness; they abandon all desires and expectations for any Divine gifts that will come to them in the world, they pursue only God’s approval and good pleasure at every instant of their lives.

These heroes are primarily distinguished with such qualities as equipping as many hearts as possible with belief, endeavoring that the Religion becomes the life of all humankind, illuminating all dark souls, trying to remove all the hardship and troubles that their community suffers, showing the same degree of sensitivity to preserving the honor of others that they show to preserving their own honor, asking for the good of all Muslims as much as or even more than they ask for their own good whenever they stretch out their hands to pray to God, praying every morning and evening for mercy toward and forgiveness of the Community of Muhammad, saying, “O my God! Have mercy on the Community of Muhammad! O my God! Forgive the Community of Muhammad!”; they act so magnanimously and tolerantly that they forgive those who have done them harm, embracing everyone with love, mercy, and generosity, showing the utmost care in adhering to the Religion down to its smallest detail, and following the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, step-by-step in their life. They try to fully represent the elevated morals and virtues that the Qur’an portrays and are resolved to remain distant from all evils and vices, such as resentment, vengeance, hatred, jealousy, suspicion, and enmity. Each of these qualities is a wonder to be sought and much more valuable than the other wonders that are manifested as some extraordinary actions or events, some examples of which we have mentioned above.

Indeed, the greatest wonder is living a life completely according to the precepts of the Qur’an, and those who are the nearest to God must be the representatives of this spirit.

O my God! Make us among Your servants who are sincere and who have been endowed with sincerity in faith and in the practice of the Religion, and who have achieved piety and righteousness, and abstinence from all forbidden things, big or small, and whom You have made near to You, and who are well-pleasing to You, and with whom You are well-pleased, and who love You and are loved by You, and who stand in awe of You, and whose character has been molded by the Qur’an! Amen! And bestow blessings and peace upon the Master of those who love You and are loved by You, and on his Family and Companions, whom You made near to You.

[1] Mawlana Allama Shibli an-Nu’mani (1857–1914) was a Muslim scholar from India. He founded the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Daru’l-Mussanifin in Azamgarh. Shibli was a versatile scholar, especially in the fields of history and literature. He was also a poet. His famous work is Siratu’n-Nabiyy. (“The Life of the Prophet”). However, he only managed to write two volumes of it, and his disciple Sayyid Sulayman an-Nadwi made use of an-Nu’mani’s material and his own and wrote the remaining five volumes of the work after the death of his teacher.

[2] Abu Jahl, ‘Abr ibn Hisham (d. 624 CE) was the most obstinate and merciless one in opposition to the Prophet Muhammad in Makka. Abu Jahl, meaning the Father of Ignorance, was the name given to him by the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. He was killed at the Battle of Badr two years after the Prophet’s emigration to Madina.

[3] an-Nu’mani, Asr-i Saadet (“The Age of Happiness”: Turkish translation of Siratu’n-Nabiyy), vol. 3, under the heading of “The Spiritual Life of Our Prophet.”

[4] Yazir, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili (“The Qur’an, the Language of the Religion of Truth”), 2:2238.

[5] Muhammad ibn Hasan Abu Ubayd al-Busri (d. 859) was a famous Syrian scholar and Sufi. He is regarded as one of the greatest saints.

[6] Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan Ali al-Ahdal al-Husayni (d. 1604) was one of the saints from Yemen. The Sufi order of Ahdaliya is attributed to him.

[7] Abu Sa’id Ahmad ibn ‘Isa al-Harraz of Baghdad, a cobbler by trade. Author of several books including some which have survived, the date of his death is uncertain but probably occurred between 892 and 899.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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orthodoxydaily · 1 year

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Saints&Reading: Monday, January 15, 2023

january 15_january 3

ST. GENEVIEVE OF PARIS (502)

Saint Geneviève was born of wealthy parents in Gaul (modern France) in the village of Nanterre, near Paris, around 422. Her father’s name was Severus, and her mother was called Gerontia. According to the custom of the time, she often tended her father’s sheep on Mount Valerien.

When the child was about seven years old, Saint Germanus of Auxerre (July 31) noticed her as he was passing through Nanterre. During the Service that night the Bishop placed his hand on her head and told her parents that she would become great in the sight of God, and would lead many to salvation. When Geneviève told him that she wished to dedicate herself to Christ, he gave her a brass medal with the image of the Cross to wear around her neck. Saint Germanus told her never to wear bracelets, or necklaces made with pearls, gold, or silver, and to avoid wearing any other ornaments around her neck, or on her fingers.

When she was fifteen, Geneviève was taken to Paris to enter the monastic life. Through fasting,vigil and prayer, she progressed in monasticism, and received from God the gifts of clairvoyance and of working miracles. Gradually, the people of Paris and the surrounding area regarded Geneviève as a holy vessel (2 Timothy 2:21).

Years later, Saint Geneviève was told that Attila the Hun was approaching Paris, Geneviève and the other nuns prayed and fasted, entreating God to spare the city. Suddenly, the barbarians turned away from Paris and went off in another direction.

Saint Geneviève considered the Saturday night Vigil service to be very important, since it symbolizes how our entire life should be. “We must keep vigil in prayer and fasting so that the Lord will find us ready when He comes,” she said. She was on her way to church with her nuns one stormy Saturday night when the wind extinguished her lantern. The nuns could not find their way without a light, since it was dark and stormy, and the road was rough and muddy. Saint Genevieve made the Sign of the Cross over the lantern, and the candle within burned with a bright flame. In this manner they were able to make their way to the church for the service.

The empty tomb of St Genevieve at St Etienne-du-mont church in Paris located just behind the Pantheon which was originally named St Genevieve church

Only relics remaining. small parts of hier body after it was burnt in a square in front of Paris city hall. On each side of her relics there’s two two icons. On the right is St, Symeon the stylite who wrote her a letter after seeing her in a vision.

There is a tradition that the church which Saint Geneviève suggested King Clovis should build in honor of Saints Peter and Paul, would become her own resting place when she fell asleep in the Lord around 512 at the age of eighty-nine. Her holy relics were later transferred to the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris. Most of her relics, and those of other saints, were destroyed at the time of the French Revolution.

During the Middle Ages, Saint Geneviève was regarded as the patron Saint of wine makers.

THE HOLY PROPHET MALACHI (400 bc)

The Holy Prophet Malachi lived 400 years before the Birth of Christ, at the time of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament prophets, therefore the holy Fathers call him “the seal of the prophets.”

Manifesting himself an image of spiritual goodness and piety, he astounded the nation and was called Malachi, i.e., an angel. His prophetic book is included in the Canon of the Old Testament. In it he upbraids the Jews, foretelling the coming of Jesus Christ and His Forerunner, and also the Last Judgment (Mal 3:1-5; 4:1-6).

Source: all texts Orthodox Church in America

MARK 12:13-17

13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay? But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him.

JAMES 2:14-26

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternorthodoxchurch #originofchristianity #holyscriptures #bible #gospel #wisdom

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weallwantabetterlife · 9 months

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Three Lessons from Jesus Washing the Disciples' Feet

1. God’s Kingdom Works In Reverse Order

Matthew 18:4 says, “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Humility, trust, simplicity, joy, full of wonder, and playfulness are all words that could be used to characterize children. In Jesus’ Kingdom what seems logical to adults oftentimes goes against the way God works. Jesus calls the last to be first (Matthew 20:16). His Word prompts us to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). The Bible teaches us to humble ourselves before the Lord (James 4:10). In Matthew 5:38-40, Jesus teaches that when we are wronged not to fight back but to offer our offenders more of ourselves!

All of these ideas go against everything that seems logical, right, or justified in our world! We live in a world where pride, greed, and ambition rule our systems. Money talks, looking out for yourself is prized, and caring for those who are hurt so you can get ahead is not often considered. Jesus intentionally sets an example of how we are to live as his followers through his actions at the Last Supper. He makes it clear that we are called to be the feet washers of our community. Our mission as Believers is to be those who love beyond reason every chance we get.

2. Jesus Washes Us Clean

Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” The prophet foretold of the cleansing power of Jesus years before Jesus physically walked the earth. His followers would have seen the feet washing and the breaking of bread and sharing of wine at the first communion that happened at the Last Supper as symbolic of Jesus’ cleansing power. When we bring our sins to the Lord he is willing and able to wash us clean. All Jesus did led up to the work of the cross, where he took the weight of our sins onto himself, so we could be forgiven. Don’t be ashamed of your “dirty feet” bring all that you are to the Lord and he is willing and able to set you free.

3. Jesus was not what the world expected.

They were looking for a political liberator, someone who would help restore power to the Jewish people, and they thought their Messiah would be powerful in the same way the world measures power. Jesus was full of heavenly ability and did many miracles but he never strove for a place of worldly power or influence.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees (Matthew 23), avoided political confrontation (John 18:10-11), and took the posture of a servant throughout his ministry. Meanwhile, his disciples were concerned about who would get the best seat in Heaven next to Jesus. It wasn’t until Jesus' death and resurrection that the full picture of Jesus as a Messiah as their foretold Savior was fully understood because while on Earth he never did as they were expecting.

When we think of what it means to be a Christ-Follower do our expectations line up with the example of Jesus? It is easy to put God in a box, thinking he should work in ways that make sense to our worldly sensibilities. The Bible reminds us that God rarely plays by our rules. Jesus came to show us what the Kingdom of Heaven is so we could become a part of it. Spending time reading the Gospels and studying who he was is a great way to remind ourselves of all the ways Jesus is never what we expect but, in every way, better than our expectations.

#lovethyneighbor #Jesus #GOD #Lord #Pentecostal #Holiness #forgiven #grace #JeffersonParkPentecostalHoliness #bible #loveoneanother #Saint #Heaven #amazinggrace #forgiven #salvation #HolyGhost #lukewarm #sin #christianity #miracle

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wisdomrays · 10 months

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KARAMA (Wonder): Part 1

Before explaining karama, since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles.

Derived from the root verb A-Ja-Za, meaning "that which people cannot imitate," a mu'jiza (miracle) is the extraordinary state, event, word or attitude which God creates at the hands of a Prophet to show the truth of Prophethood, confirm the Religion, and generate conviction and contentment in the hearts of believers. It is beyond the power and ability of other people. A Prophet works a miracle according to God's will in order to demonstrate his Prophethood in an undeniable and indisputable way. The miracle is created by God, not the Prophet. The Qur'an, other Divine Scriptures, and the Prophetic Traditions all mention numerous miracles worked by the Prophets, and refer to the consequences of believing or not believing in them.

As for karama (wonder), this word is derived from karam, the root meaning of which is honor, munificence, and bounty. Karama is used to designate extraordinary states, words, acts, and effects displayed by saints through God's will and creation. To give a more detailed description, the extraordinary states displayed by the Prophets to demonstrate their Prophethood are "miracles," while such states exhibited by the saints who have succeeded in purifying their souls and refining their hearts in adherence to the true Religion are considered to be "wonders." Similar extraordinary states and acts can sometimes be witnessed in some people who have no belief in and adherence to the true Religion. But these states and acts are called "gradual perdition," as they usually cause particularly the unjust, dissolute and sinful people gradually to descend into perdition.

From another viewpoint, a wonder (karama) is an extra miracle like gift of God with which He honors His servants who love and obey Him and whom He loves; it is God's unusual or exceptional treatment of these servants for following the Prophet. The beloved people of God have divided this treatment into the spiritualkarama and the karama that is beyond the normal laws of life and creation:

As for the wonders that are beyond the normal laws of life and creation, they consist of certain extraordinary performances such as increasing a little food or drink without making any addition, being able to remain hungry for days without eating or drinking anything, covering great distances in a very short time, being present in many places at the same instant, walking on water without sinking, and moving some objects from afar. The devoted people of God have never considered such performances as a virtue, nor have they sought them; if God creates such things in their hands, they try to conceal them. Fearing that such extraordinary performances may be the cause of gradual perdition, the faithful servants at the door of God have turned to God with repentance, penitence, and contrition, scrutinized their sincerity, and renewed their devotion from the heart. Furthermore, some of them have likened such wonders to playthings of children and never attached any importance to them. The respected scholarly saint Ahmad ar-Rifai maintained that such wonders should be kept concealed, and he emphasized following the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Some others with the same approach have regarded wonders such as flying in the air and walking on water as the acts of some animals, and stressed that the main wonder is being able constantly to pursue God's good pleasure and approval while trying to remain distant from other kinds of extraordinariness. They have prayed, saying, "O my God! Favor my 'secret' with familiarity of Your Essence, and do not test me as one who is familiar with Your secrets!" They have preferred to remain shut off from all other kinds of extraordinariness than belief, knowledge of God, and love of God, and they have not even sought spiritual pleasures.

Nevertheless, there may be some sincere ones who view wonderworking as a gift from God and make it a means of praising and thanking Him. However, it is always possible for those who have not yet been able to purify their souls completely to fall into conceit and pride. For this reason, if such a gift and performance, which is regarded as a fruit of nearness to God Almighty, causes one to become distant from God instead, then it must be more prudent to keep one's heart distant from everything, including spiritual pleasures, other than His approval and good pleasure purely for His sake.

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dfroza · 1 year

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A terrible time of Judgment to come

is not a fictional tale

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 16th chapter of the book of Revelation:

Then I heard a great voice coming from the temple ordering the seven heavenly messengers.

A Voice: Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth.

So the first messenger poured out his bowl onto the earth. When he did, a foul-smelling, painful sore broke out on each person who bore the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.

The second messenger poured out his bowl into the sea. When he did, the waters became like the blood that spills from a dead body, and every living creature in the sea died.

The third messenger poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of fresh water. When he did, they, too, became blood. And I heard the messenger over the waters speak.

Messenger over the Waters: You are just, O holy One who is and who was,

for You have judged these things rightly.

Because people shed the blood of the saints and prophets,

You have given them blood to quench their thirst.

They are deserving of these punishments.

And I heard a voice from the altar agree.

A Voice: Yes, Lord God, the All Powerful,

true and right are Your judgments!

The fourth messenger poured out his bowl on the sun. When he did, the sun was permitted to blister people with its fire. The incredible heat of the sun burned their skin; but instead of rethinking their actions and glorifying God, they cursed God’s name because He had the power to carry out these plagues.

The fifth messenger poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. When he did, its kingdom was blanketed in darkness. People chewed on their tongues out of the depth of their agony. Still they refused to change their wicked ways, so they cursed the God of heaven because of their painful afflictions and ulcerous sores.

The sixth messenger poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. When he did, the river dried up and became a road so that the kings from the east and their armies could make their way. What I saw next troubled me deeply: three foul spirits like frogs appeared, belched from the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the earth-beast. These frogs are demonic spirits. As they go into the world, they perform miracles persuading the kings of the world to gather for the last battle on the great day of God, the All Powerful.

A Voice: See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the person who watches and waits, dressed and ready to go, so as not to wander about naked, exposed to disgrace.

And the kings gathered at the place called Har-Magedon in Hebrew.

Finally, the seventh messenger poured out his bowl into the air. When he did, a great voice came out of the temple, from the throne.

A Voice: It is accomplished!

At the sound of the voice, there were flashes of lightning, sounds of voices, rumblings of thunder, and tremors of an earthquake. In all of human history, there had never been an earthquake of this magnitude. The great city was torn into three parts, and the cities of all the nations fell. God remembered the great city, Babylon, and made her drink the cup of His fury and wrath. Every island sank into the ocean, and no mountains were left to be discovered. And great hailstones, each weighing nearly 100 pounds, fell from the sky onto the people until they cursed God because the plague of hail was so severe.

The Book of Revelation, Chapter 16 (The Voice)

A note from The Voice translation:

Just as God used the plagues to judge the Egyptians and deliver His people from bondage (Exodus 7–12), these plagues will help rescue God’s faithful servants.

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 13th and closing chapter of the book of Nehemiah about Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem to bring about correction for evils being done, to cleanse and restore:

Later that day, when the book of Moses was being read to the people, we discovered a passage that said no Ammonite or Moabite should be allowed to enter the sacred gatherings of God’s people.

This prohibition went back to the time when our ancestors wandered in the desert—when the Ammonites and the Moabites refused to welcome the Israelites with food and drink. In fact, they hired Balaam to curse them. But it didn’t work. God turned the curse into a blessing. As soon as people heard what God’s law said, they excluded anyone with any non-Israelite descent from Israel.

Before that happened, the priest named Eliashib took a large storeroom in the temple of God and gave it to Tobiah the Ammonite for his use. Eliashib was in charge of the storerooms, and Tobiah was a relative of his. Before he gave it to Tobiah, it had been used to store many different things for use in the temple: the grain offerings, the incense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers—also the offerings for the priests. I was not in Jerusalem when Eliashib did this. It was the 32nd year of the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, and I had returned to make a report to him. Later on I asked his permission to return to Jerusalem. When I arrived, I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a room in the courts of the temple of the True God, a place he wasn’t even allowed to enter because of his heritage. I was livid. In my anger, I threw all of Tobiah’s property out of the room. Then I had them purify the rooms and restore what was supposed to be there—the sacred vessels, the grain offerings, and the incense.

I also learned that the portion of the offering that belonged to the Levites had not been given to them. As a result, the Levites and singers who were responsible for leading God’s people in worship returned to work on their farms instead. I went straight to the leaders responsible for this and confronted them, asking, “Why are you neglecting God’s temple?” I reassembled the leaders who had returned home and placed them back at their posts. This allowed the people of Judah to bring their tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil into the storehouses again. I placed trustworthy men in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah. I brought Hanan (Zaccur’s son and Mattaniah’s grandson) on as their assistant. It was their responsibility to make sure the daily rations were distributed to their relatives.

Nehemiah: O God—my God—remember this good thing I have done. Do not forget the way I have served Your temple and its servants.

At that same time, I looked around Judah and saw men working the winepresses on the Sabbath. Others I found bringing large loads of grain to be loaded on donkeys. Wine, grapes, figs—they brought every kind of load into Jerusalem on the Sabbath no matter the season. I warned them about selling food on the Sabbath, just as they were doing it. There were men from Tyre living in Jerusalem. They also brought fish and all kinds of merchandise into Jerusalem and sold it to the people of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. I confronted the leaders of Judah, whom I held responsible for the public’s actions.

Nehemiah: Why are you doing what you know is wicked? You are desecrating the Sabbath! Tell me how this is different from what we just confessed about our ancestors and their sin. This is the thing that provoked God’s judgment and the destruction of this very city. You are fueling the fire of judgment for Israel by desecrating the Sabbath!

As the sun was setting before the Sabbath and darkness fell over Jerusalem’s gates, I ordered the doors to be closed. I required them to remain closed until the Sabbath ended. I placed some of my own guards by the gates to ensure no load of merchandise could be brought into the city during the Sabbath, but Jerusalem’s citizens could still come and go. On a couple of different occasions, some traders and merchants of a great variety of goods slept by the gates outside the wall. They also received a warning from me.

Nehemiah: What are you up to, sleeping here outside the wall? If I find you here again, you will be removed by force!

They never came back on the Sabbath again. I ordered the Levites to go through the purifying rituals and then to come back and guard the gates so that the Sabbath would be kept holy.

Nehemiah: O God—my God—remember my actions. Because of Your great love, show me mercy.

During that same time, I witnessed men from Judah marrying women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah or understand our laws but only the languages of their peoples. I rebuked and cursed them. Some of them I beat, and I tore out their hair. I made them take an oath in the name of God.

Nehemiah: You will not let your daughters marry their sons, nor will you accept their daughters as wives for yourselves or your sons! This is the very thing that caused King Solomon’s downfall. In all the world, there was no king like him. God loved him dearly and made him king over all Israel. Yet these foreign wives led Solomon into sin. Now we discover that you have embraced the same wicked ways, betraying our God by marrying these foreign women.

Even the family of High Priest Eliashib was guilty. One of his grandsons, a son of Joiada, married one of the daughters of Sanballat the Horonite. I drove him away from me.

Nehemiah: O God—my God—remember how these men polluted the priesthood and the sacred vows of the priests and Levites.

Once more we went through the rituals of purification, removing every foreign object. I reassigned the priests and the Levites to their tasks; everyone had a specific job to do. I made sure the altar was supplied with the offering of wood and the offerings of firstfruits, too—each at the right time.

Nehemiah: O God—my God—remember me with favor.

The Book of Nehemiah, Chapter 13 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, April 15 of 2023 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about the “inner strength” we need:

In connection with our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Shemini) the sages ask, "Why does the Torah use a repetitious expression, "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy" (הִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדשִׁים) (Lev. 11:44)? Because when we make an effort - no matter how feeble at times - to draw near to the LORD, He will draw near to us.

There is a story (told in the midrash) that wonderfully illustrates this idea: An old sage once saw a beautifully shaped rock which he very much wanted to bring as a gift to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. However, the rock was too heavy for him to carry and he couldn't afford to pay porters to bring it to Jerusalem. The man prayed and asked God for help, and soon five angels (disguised as men) appeared to offer the man help. The sage told them that he would like them to carry the stone to Jerusalem, but he couldn't pay them. The five angels immediately offered to carry the rock on his behalf, but only if the man put his finger to the rock to "help" them carry it. The midrash states that although the angels didn't need man's help, the man was required to do what he could.... God then took care of the rest.

In this connection, the Dubner Maggid once told this parable: A tourist once checked into a hotel and asked the porter to bring his suitcase to the top floor, where he had rented a room. After an hour or so the porter knocked on his door and brought in the suitcase, sweating and breathing heavily. “What did you put into your suitcase, stones?”, the porter asked, “it is extremely heavy!” The tourist looked at him in surprise: “My suitcase is heavy? Not at all! Mine is very light. You must have mistakenly brought up someone else’s suitcase!”

Do you feel "weary" about serving the LORD? Then maybe you have “picked up” some other agenda along the way. The Lord says, "You have not worshiped Me .. that you should be weary of Me... (Isa. 43:22). In other words, serving the LORD leads to freedom and joy. Indeed, the NT Greek word for the word for "joy" (χαρά) is directly related to the word "grace" (χάρις). If you find yourself "weighed down" in your service of God, something may be wrong - and the burden you are carrying might be coming from a source other than God. Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty... God is not a “slave driver,” and indeed the purpose of our redemption was to set us free to serve Him. Yeshua’s burden is kal - “light.”

People necessarily value things, and therefore every person alive is a “worshipper” (i.e., a person who finds “worth” in something). The question that matters is what is your ultimate concern? What moves you to get out of bed in the morning, to go through your day, to have hope in your heart? What do you really want? Where are you really going? Each of us will stand before God for judgment one day and give account of his or her life... One day all that is hidden will be fully disclosed to the light...

Where it says, “I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13), that includes being healed of the inner pain of your life: your failures, your shame, the ache of rejection, abandonment, and so on. It means being set free from disillusionment, despair, and the oppression of relentless fear. “I can do all things through Messiah” means no longer accepting messages of self-hatred and hopelessness, no longer heeding the malicious whispers that say: “I am of no value,” “I am unlovable,” “my life is hopeless.” No! “I can do all things through Messiah” means learning to be accepted, honored, and esteemed by God; it means opening your heart to God's love and blessing for your life; it means allowing your heart to be made right, to have inner peace... After all, Yeshua’s great prayer was that we would know the truth of God’s love for us (John 17), and this is the central need of our lives.

Of course sometimes we indeed become weary in life - from sickness, from the world and its oppression, from heartache of life in a fallen world, from the battle with the devil, and so on, though it is vital to remember there is consolation given to us in Messiah, and heavenly food is given to strengthen us (1 Kings 17:4-6). I believe the LORD allows oppression to sometimes chasten us -- that is, to help us remember Him and our profound need for His love to reign within our hearts... As long as that is not settled, there is an ongoing lesson.

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Gal. 6:9). If you find yourself weary, chastened, and broken, then draw near to God, for he has promised to draw near to you: "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy."

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Isaiah 40:29 Hebrew reading (with comments):

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa40-29-jjp.mp3

Hebrew reading page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/isa40-29-lesson.pdf

4.13.23 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel365 about longing and “connection”

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

April 15, 2023

Yahweh’s Forgiveness and Healing

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction.” (Psalm 103:1-4)

In this psalm, David directs believers to personal praise, reminding them to worship Yahweh for spiritual forgiveness and physical healing. Do all believers receive these two benefits unilaterally? If we are calling out for sin’s forgiveness—unequivocally yes (1 John 1:9)!

The Lord has always demonstrated His concern for His children’s physical well-being. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But physical healing is never a guarantee—the only such guarantee is found in the believer’s future glorification (Romans 8:30). David prayed hard for spiritual and physical healing after committing his sin against God, Bathsheba, and Uriah (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51). Spiritual forgiveness was unilateral and immediate, but Yahweh had different plans for David’s precious baby (2 Samuel 12:23).

Be reminded, believer, that we live between the pages of Romans 8. We see the groaning of the creation and painfully feel the groaning we ourselves experience. Even so, God providentially sustains our bodies as we carry out His will until His Kingdom comes (Matthew 6:13). I am reminded of what one dear believer experienced from a very painful disease. Given only a year to live, God miraculously allowed her an additional seven years, during which she discipled more than 10 women and led several to a saving knowledge of Christ. She was finally called home into the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Regardless of our circumstances, we must always “bless the LORD” and trust in Him. CM

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nijjhar · 1 year

Video

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Gospel is not for the spiritually dead University Professors but for ord... Gospel is not for the spiritually dead University Professors but for ordinary illiterate shepherds in the villages. That is why the Good News about the Birth of Jesus was broken to the Shepherds and not the killer University Professor in Jerusalem. Also, in the towns like Oxford and Cambridge you get these influential Super Donkeys University Professors carrying the holy books and they beong drunk with the old wine would not desire the New Wine as the illiterate people at Cana desired. https://youtu.be/IIDlHAN9FrI Holy Gospel of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., delivered by the First Anointed Christ, which in Punjabi we call Satguru Jesus of the highest living God Elohim that dwells within His Temple of God created by the demiurge Potter, the Lord of the Nature Yahweh, Brahma, Khudah, etc., the Greatest Artist of all and it is called Harmandir or “Emmanuel” according to Saint Mark 8,27-33. Jesus and His Twice-born Brethren/Labourers and not the once-born spiritually blind Orphan disciples of the Rabbis, the men of dead letters without the knowledge of the Oral Torah, set out for the villages where the illiterate shepherds are and not the towns like Oxford and Cambridge where the men of dead letters drunk with the old wine are found of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, he asked his Brethren, the Virgin Brides, «Who do people say that I am?» They said in reply, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets. That is what the others men and books could say without Christ in their hearts." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter, the only once-born Labourer of clean heart like Nicodemus said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah." Even His once-born Labourer watching the Miracles proclaimed that He is the Christ. Nicodemus also knew that He was Christ. Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him because they were “Saltless” and unfaithful to Abraham and Yahweh stooges of their Blind Guides, the Rabbis intoxicated with the ruling power as these Catholic Priests are today. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly at the hands of the Saltless Jews outwardly unfaithful to Abraham and Yahweh and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, the scribes, the University Professors of Theology as they did to me and be killed, and rise after three days. The Third Judgement Atomic War is expected soon after 14/11/2023. He spoke this openly. Then Once-Born Peter full of Ego as he answered his question right that you are the Messiah took him aside and began to rebuke him that you make the dead alive then how could you die? At this he turned around and, looking at his Virgin Brides or the twice-born Workers Talmidim = Sikhs and not the once-born disciples, rebuked Peter for he had no common sense whosoever is born is to die one day to give his own account to God and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as the twice-born humble person of God does, but as the natural human beings do." Holy spirit, common sense, shatters the fetters of the dead letters, the Holy Books. If we have One God, our Supernatural Father of our souls, then there should be one Faith. In Christianity, Jesus said One Fold called the Church of God headed by One Shepherd, our Bridegroom Christ Jesus/Christ = Satguru Nanak Dev Ji, the Second coming of Jesus. Solid Proof; this Golden Temple is of the same size as the Holiest of Holy that used to be in Jerusalem and its Curtain held the Secrets of the Oral Torah = His Word was rendered from the Top, the Temple High Priests, to the Bottom, the village Rabbis off you go – Luke 16v16; Law and Prophets were till John and thus, everyone makes a direct approach to God through His Word = Logo = SATGUR PARSAD. So, these hireling Dog-Collared Priests and Mullahs, cannot give your account to God as thGreatest Blasphemers and Killers Blair and Bush being considered by Anti-Christ Bishops for Nobel Peace Prize. Nobel Peace Prize should rather go to Assange and the Iraqi Journalist who threw both his shoes at the hypocrite Bush in Iraq. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHdTpTXHvE&list=PL0C8AFaJhsWz7HtQEhV91eAKugUw73PW1 Christ Jesus was killed by the Temple High Priest Hypocrite/Blasphemer against the Holy Spirit and so are these Bush and Blair who at the backing of Jewish people in the USA destroyed one country after the other starting with the cradle of Humanity Iraq, the Land of the forefather of the Chosen People who are no more faithful to Abraham but has become sons of the Highest Satan Al-Djmar Al-Aksa. Blair and Bush’s blasphemies against Holy Spirit are bearing Fruit in economic chaos created by Virus https://youtu.be/0WBYOmpDuCs American Jews are today – http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/GrimReaper.htm Destroying one country after the other, so that the scripture is fulfilled. Also, do not forget the partition of India and how the dirty hearted-British divided the homeland Punjab of the brave Jatt tr

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itsyourchoicedevotionals · 3 years

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Fell For The Twisted

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1John 4:1NASB

Is your church haunted? There’s a good possibility an evil spirit may be in charge IF you see: — No passionate love for Jesus? — Breeds bondage and condemnation? — Missing one or more of the five-fold ministries? — Strife, dissension, gossip? — Anti-evangelism outside churches walls? — Devoid of joy and ultimately power? — Form of godliness through regimen and repetition? — Apathy?

If you’re recognize two or more of the items on this list, you’ve got a haunted church. The spirit in charge is a religious spirit, not Holy Spirit. It’s in charge, no matter what others think or say.

Paul reveals the characteristics of people with this religious spirit. What they‘re like in the flesh—“…love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” 2Timothy 3:5NLT

Another neon sign of the religious spirit being present is confusion. Paul wrote Galatians 1:7; 5:10NIV “…Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. …The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.” 1Corinthians 14:33KJV “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

Tommi Femrite wrote in “How To Dismantle America’s Greatest Strongholds Through Prayer” Charisma Magazine, October 2012, quoting: “The religious spirit has a form of truth yet lacks the fullness of truth. It operates under the guise of Holy Spirit power yet has no intimacy with the Father to produce such power. It is a spiritual vacuum that, due to the subtle ways it manifests, can distract believers from their true destiny and calling for months, years, even lifetimes….”

Quoting Chuck Pierce… “Religious spirits are sent to seduce you and cause you to wander in the wilderness. Tragically, that is where countless believers have remained under the influence of this spiritually poisonous power.”

Very sad but true, countless believers are doing nothing productive in the kingdom of God. They’ve succumbed to teachings which put down the power and truth of God’s Words. They fell for the twisted, rather than the truth. Some went on to became modern day Pharisees, or Sadducees. To them all of Jesus’s miracles ceased in the first church: serving Christ is a joyless, fruitless task: all their prayers will be answered in the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than here on earth. Truly Ichabod is written on their hearts— “the glory has departed,” 1Samuel 4:21KJV.

Where are we individually? Is life haunted by the religious spirit? Or―Are we scouring God’s Word for the truths of love, life and power? Does our relationship with Jesus grow sweeter each day, more on fire than before? Do we praise and love the Lord passionately?

Should you recognize a religious spirit, cast it out in the name of Jesus, fall on your face seeking Papa God; get into His Word to fill you afresh. It’s your choice. You choose.

PRAYER: Papa God, in the name of Jesus Christ, we take authority over the religious spirit trying to destroy our destiny in You. We cast every evil spirit out. Come make Your home in us, Holy Spirit. We desire to be fire setters and world changers through You, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

#Jesus Christ #lord of lords #Word of God #Holy Spirit #God #it's your choice #devotional #twisted #fell for #succumbed #influence #religious spirit #life #love #hope #faith

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wightwold · 4 years

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Founderism, Foundermeer’s Primary Religion

We’ve had some inquiries from our Discord members about religion in Foundermeer. Here’s some information from our setting page, which we hope to post in full soon! You can read more detailed, optional information beneath the cut; however, this is only important if you’re interested in creating a religious character, such as someone involved with the Church.

The only official religion in Foundermeer is Founderism, which is basically a simplified fantasy-lite alternate version of Catholicism. Founderism's christ figure is a woman, Ophelia of Naimes (pronounced "names"), who was executed for treason and witchcraft in the Places Beyond despite being believed to be a prophet and a messenger of God by her many followers. Founderism originated hundreds of years ago as a denomination established by Foundermeerish settlers. It venerates well over a hundred saints and you are free to invent your own as needed, or use existing saints if they can be modified to loosely fit the setting. Founderism's practices are similar to Catholic traditions, but as its messiah is a woman its hierarchy is female dominated (though male priests still exist). The Church's bishop is known as the Holy Mother and resides at St. Charlotte's Cathedral in Ashwall.

Though less than half of Foundermeer's population is actively religious, and up to a third is completely nonreligious, the Church retains a great deal of power and is often believed to more influential than the Crown itself. This is mostly by virtue of the Church's Inquisitors, who represent the only force capable of opposing rogue Ginterghasts. Inquisitors are enigmatic figures who wear red cloaks and hoods to hide their features while traveling. Few have ever seen one, much less spoken to one, at least to their knowledge.

If you're interested in creating a religious character, you can read more below the cut:

Origins

According to the scriptures, Ophelia of Naimes was born a slave in the aristocratic country of Acadia. Acadian society at that time was built upon their large slave caste, though slaves were not without upward mobility. Ophelia, educated and taught to write, rose above her station in this way and soon became an advocate of education. When she was eighteen, she began to experience visions in times of stress or danger. Soon, she began to realize that these visions came from God, and she believed that God had a plan for her.

For three years Ophelia roamed, spreading His Word and performing miracles. The aristocracy, at first, allowed this to happen with only token attempts to interfere, but when she had gathered enough followers to form a small army, and began to claim that God thought slavery an abomination, they declared her a traitor to Acadia and a witch.

A short, but bloody conflict followed in which many slaves and citizens were killed. Eventually, Ophelia’s People fell to the Acadian army, and Ophelia herself was burned at the stake. Her last words were, “Do not suffer the Sinful. Act, and God will keep you."

Soon after her death, many of Ophelia’s followers set sail from Acadia, landing first upon the shores of what is now known as Foundermeer. The native, pagan religion, influenced the settlers development of Founderism somewhat, and this shows in the Founderist exaltation of over one-hundred saints.

Basic Tenants

Most of Foundermeer’s laws are secular in nature, and Founderism lacks any sort of list of commandments passed down by their God. However, there are many philosophies espoused by Ophelia which guide the church’s doctrine.

The first, and arguably most important precept is the call to be an active bystander, to call out injustice and protect the weak or disadvantaged, even when - or perhaps especially when - the situation does not concern you. Because of this, the church is known for its charity work; including orphanages, soup kitchens, and women’s shelters. Ophelia also preached egalitarianism, the importance of being humble, and the constant pursuit of a better version of oneself.

Over the years, the church as an organization has, of course, added its own doctrines into the mix. Most of this was in direct opposition to Acadia’s “poisonous” hedonism. Thus a pervasive shamefulness of wealth, drink, sex, and other pleasure seeking behaviors has become ingrained within the moral code of the devout.

Current Organization

The head of the church is called the Holy Mother, and she resides in St. Charlotte’s Cathedral. Directly beneath her are the Quorum of Nine, composed of nine Revered Sisters, who act as a council of sorts that forms the church’s highest, most inner circle. Up to seventy Revered Sisters live in and around the cathedral, and all of them take part in choosing the Holy Mother’s successor from among themselves upon her death.

Beneath them are the other members of the clergy, operating on a more local level. Bishops oversee several townships, while priests and priestesses run individual churches. These clergymen are addressed as either Father or Mother, and are allowed to marry.

Finally, several cloisters house the Venerated of Ophelia, a group of nuns - called Sisters - who are generally dedicated to charity and live by Ophelia’s dying words, “Act, and God will keep you."

Common Practices

Churches hold Mass every Sunday. In addition to listening to readings (in Old Acadian) from the Holy Book and a sermon given by the priest, Founderists gather to remember Ophelia’s sacrifice by lighting a candle from the Holy Flame, which is maintained dutifully in most churches upon their alter. Some small, rural churches that do not have the resources to maintain a constant flame simply light it weekly.

Confessions also happen on a weekly basis, particularly in rural areas, although most make the pilgrimage to Ashwall every few years - or maybe even just once in their lifetime - to be forgiven by the Holy Mother herself. Penitence often involves the utterance of prayer or some version of self-sacrifice or self-denial. Within the clergy, penitence may even involve self-flagellation, an act intended to remind the sinner of the pain Ophelia endured before she raised herself up.

Many individuals frequently pray not only to God or to St. Ophelia, but to any one of dozens upon dozen of venerated saints. For example, supper is proceeded by a dedication to St. Agatha, while a prayer for the safe journey of a loved one might be offered to St. Ludmila. Prayers begin and end with a genuflection of tented hands, with the tips of fingers interlaced, which moves from the breast to forehead. This gesture represents how the Holy Flame must cleanse one's heart and one's mind.

Interpretation of the Otherworld

When the breaches opened, the church believed that wights were demons sent to plague them. Though they claimed to know where they had come from and why they had come, the church had no power to protect its people, nor could any explanation be found in any of their holy texts. While religion floundered during this time, science and alchemy took charge and showed promise. Many Founderists began to lose their faith as trial after trial befell them, and their church did nothing. And then came the Ginterghasts.

Initially, Charlotte and Aldous were considered to be abominations. That was until Charlotte cut her possessed brother down on the battlefield, ending his reign of terror. For this act of sacrifice, and countless other heroics, she would eventually be sanctified. Soon the church understood that Ginterghasts, as they’d come to be called, were Foundermeer’s greatest hope, and if they wanted to maintain any of their believers, they’d have to adapt. This sentiment, too, drove the decision to make Charlotte a saint.

Today, the church’s stance on Ginterghasts, and even wights themselves, has softened to an extent. Ginterghasts are tenuous allies of Founderism, necessary but also dangerous. The Otherworld is considered to be an unholy place, and wights unholy beasts, though beyond that any official stances are inconsistent and vague. However, many rural churches, separated from the Holy Mother’s influence and more susceptible to the dangers posed by wights, still preach the idea that wights are demons and Ginterghasts are abominations.

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 3 years

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1st May >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saturday, Fourth Week of Eastertide

Saint Joseph the Worker.

Saturday, Fourth Week of Eastertide

(Liturgical Colour: White)

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 13:44-52

Since you have rejected the word of God, we must turn to the pagans

The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. ‘We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:

I have made you a light for the nations, so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 97(98):1-4

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. or R/ Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. or R/ Alleluia!

The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. or R/ Alleluia!

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. or R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Romans 6:9

Alleluia, alleluia! Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. Alleluia!

Or:

John 8:31-32

Alleluia, alleluia! If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, and you will learn the truth, says the Lord. Alleluia!

Gospel

John 14:7-14

To have seen me is to have seen the father

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him, ‘and you still do not know me?

‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason. I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Saint Joseph the Worker

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading

Genesis 1:26-2:3

Fill the earth and conquer it

God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’

God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food.’ And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day. Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he had rested after all his work of creating.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading

Colossians 3:14-15,17,23-24

Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as for the Lord

Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful. Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 89(90):2-4,12-14,16