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carmelitesaet · 7 months

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Memorial of The Holy Guardian Angels

"God our Father, in your loving providence you send your holy angels to watch over us. Hear our prayers, defend us always by their protection and let us share your life with them for ever. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen."

The Lord says this: ‘I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you.’

[Exodus 23:20-23]

Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.

[Psalm 103:20]

Painting from the Carmelite Museum at Alba de Tormes in Spain.

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coptorthodox · 1 year

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Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases. Psalm 103:2-3 #coptorthodox #bibleverse #bible #bibleversedaily #dailyverse #coptic #orthodox @coptorthodox #comeandsee #seekgod #Healingtheparalytic #doyouwanttobemadewell #godhealing #godhealingpower #psalms #psalm103 #psalm10323 #psalm103v2and3 #blessthelordohmysoul #blessthelord #forgetnotallhisbenefits #whoforgivesallyouriniquities #whohealsallyourdiseases https://www.instagram.com/p/CqUuSS_vz54/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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revdavidbsmith · 7 months

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Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

#audio #biblebistro #biblereading #biblestudy #bibleteaching #devotional #podcast #psalm #psalm103 #psalms

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jfarvin · 20 days

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https://youtu.be/WTkRYfxLerI?si=SFWIxumuyKnA1FkU Romans 3:22-24 But now, independently of the law, the righteousness of God is tangible and brought to light through Jesus, the Anointed One. This is the righteousness that the Scriptures prophesied would come. It is God’s righteousness made visible through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And now all who believe in him receive that gift. For there is really no difference between us, for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. Yet through his powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away his righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin!It's been a week now, since we gathered to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus. Today we take communion and again remember His death burial and resurrection . Let us always remember what He did for us. It is so great that we will not fully comprehend the fullness from salvation to eternity. However, we should try. Bless You Lord and all that is within me bless Your Holy Name. Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all of Your benefits. Psalm 103:1

With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! YAHWEH, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me? You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done. You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease. You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life. You’ve crowned me with love and mercy. You satisfy my every desire with good things. You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again like a flying eagle in the sky! Psalm103:1-5 TPT

And...Its all because of You Jesus!

#ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS

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hiswordsarekisses · 1 year

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“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord.” Psalm103

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dfroza · 1 day

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youtube

is this the “echo” of your silence?

(A sacred inner space)

from the precipice of silent lips (in Spirit)

(A reprise)

suddenly…

A song of question marks (?)

that always cross paths with the heart & mind

the title track (#9) on the 2017 album Suddenly (Or the Nuclear Sunburst of the Truth Revealed) by Young Oceans

we need a True “unveiling”

True illumination.

(we enter the Heart of God when we bring the Heart of God into our own)

“let me come in”

will you open (inside, Anew)?

A “prophetic” set of posts by John Parsons about Nisan 17 on the Jewish calendar (Thursday, April 25 of 2024)

He is Alive! The night of Nisan 17 marked the time of the resurrection of Messiah. According to a careful reading of Scripture, we believe the Lord was crucified on Nisan 14, exactly when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the Holy Temple, and He rose from the dead three days and nights later, on the night of Nisan 17 (i.e., before sunrise). We rejoice that He is risen - He is alive - and our redemption is eternally secure! The most important fact of all history - and that which radically and forever transforms everything else - is the resurrection of Yeshua from the dead (תחייתו של משיח).

[Hebrew for Christians]

Today is Yom Ha'bikkurim (יוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים), the Passover festival of "First Fruits" which marked the "waving of the barley" for the great harvest of blessing to come. It was on this day, Nisan 17, that Yeshua was raised from the dead, the "firstfruits (ἀπαρχὴ) of all that have died" (1 Cor. 15:20). Amen, because He lives we also live! Now let us walk in light of His Presence and keep our hope strong. The prophecy of the whole ingathering draws near!

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Psalm 103:1 Hebrew reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm103-1-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm103-1-lesson.pdf

4.25.24 • Facebook

in 2009 i lived on the 17th story

#Youtube

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clarissaxrose1212 · 6 months

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God is so good!!!!! He is so merciful to all who follow and fear Him!!!!!

🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️🙌🙌🙌

#PraiseGod #PraiseTheLord #GodIsGood #Christian #LoveGod #LoveJesus #LoveEveryone #Love #FaithInGod #ChristianFaith #Faith #HopeInGod #Hope #BelieveInGod #BelieveInJesus #FearGod #OnlyFearGod #FollowGod #Mercy #GodsMercy #Pray #GiveThanksToGod #Repent #Forgive #BibleQuote #ChristianQuote #Quote #BibleVerse #Psalms #Psalm #Psalm103 #Psalm103v11 #KJV #🙏 #❤️ #🙌

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mrskyleswifey · 8 months

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Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Luke 1:37, "For nothing is impossible for God."

1John1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews10:17 “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Acts3:19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Micah7:19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Psalm103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

2Timothy2:25-26 Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

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psalmdivine · 1 year

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#Jesusiscomingback, #Christians, #Mercy, #Peace, #Joy. #Forgiveness, #Love, #MyRedeemer, #HolySpirit, #Romans8:28, #John3:16, #Psalm73:28, #Psalm86:11-12, #Psalm92:12, #Psalm103:11-12, #Psalm105:4, #Psalm43:19, #Ephesians:6:10-18, #Ephesians1:13, #MySavior, #Matt5:1-14

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treasureforourhearts · 1 year

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He has not dealt with us according to our sins #treasureforourhearts #treasureverse #Psalms #treasurePsalms #Psalm103 #Psalm10310 #GodsWord #Godspromises #scripture #bibleverse #NIV #dailyverse #bibleverseoftheday #Christian #believer #Hehasnotdealtwithusaccordingtooursins #Norpunishedusaccordingtoouriniquities www.treasureforourhearts.com

Lin

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coptorthodox · 11 months

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The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Psalm 103:8

#coptorthodox #bibleverse #bible #bibleversedaily #dailyverse #coptic #orthodox @coptorthodox #tasteandseethatthelordisgood #psalms #psalm103 #psalm1038 #psalm103v8 #thelordismerciful #thelordisgracious #thelordisslowtoanger #aboundinginmercy

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revdavidbsmith · 7 months

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To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

#audio #biblebistro #biblereading #biblestudy #bibleteaching #devotional #podcast #psalm #psalm103 #psalms

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thewordsayz · 2 years

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Disobedience and God's Judgement

Disobedience and God’s Judgement

Disobedience and God’s Judgement Genesis 2:16-17And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof thou shalt surely die. Texts: Jonah 3:6-10; Psalm103:1-5My question is “What is God saying to leaders of this world, to the churches, and to…

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piouscatholic · 2 years

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#UniversalisCom

#OfficeofReadings

(If you have already recited the Invitatory Psalm today, you should use the alternative opening.)

Lord, open our lips.

And we shall praise Your name.

#InvitatoryPsalm

#Psalm94(95)

Alleluia!

The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world. Come, let us adore Him, alleluia.

(repeat antiphon*)

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,

let us acclaim God our salvation.

Let us come before Him proclaiming our thanks,

let us acclaim Him with songs.

(repeat antiphon*)

For the Lord is a great God,

a king above all Gods.

For He holds the depths of the earth in His hands,

and the peaks of the mountains are His.

For the sea is His: He made it;

and His hands formed the dry land.

(repeat antiphon*)

Come, let us worship and bow down,

bend the knee before the Lord who made us;

for He Himself is our God and we are His flock,

the sheep that follow His hand.

(repeat antiphon*)

If only, today, you would listen to His voice:

“Do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

on the day of Massah in the desert,

when your fathers tested me –

they put me to the test,

although they had seen my works.”

(repeat antiphon*)

“For forty years they wearied me,

that generation.

I said: their hearts are wandering,

they do not know my paths.

I swore in my anger:

they will never enter my place of rest.”

(repeat antiphon*)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

(repeat antiphon*)

* If you are reciting this on your own, you can choose to say the antiphon once only at the start of the psalm and not repeat it.

#Hymn

When God of old came down from heaven,

In power and wrath He came.

Before His feet the clouds were riven,

Half darkness and half flame;

But when He came the second time,

He came in power and love.

Softer than gale at morning prime

Hovered His holy Dove.

The fires that rushed on Sinai down

In sudden torrents dread,

Now gently light, a glorious crown,

On every sainted head.

And when the Spirit of our God

Came down His flock to find,

A voice from heaven was heard abroad,

A rushing, mighty wind.

It fills the Church of God, it fills

The sinful world around;

Only in stubborn hearts and wills

No place for it is found.

Come Lord, come Wisdom, Love and Power,

Open our ears to hear.

Let us not miss the accepted hour!

Save, Lord, by love or fear.

#Psalm103(104)

#HymntoGodtheCreator

The Holy Spirit is like a wind that blows wherever it pleases: you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. Alleluia.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord, my God, how great You are!

You are robed in majesty and splendour;

You are wrapped in light as in a cloak.

You stretch out the sky like an awning,

You build Your palace upon the waters.

You make the clouds Your chariot,

You walk upon the wings of the wind.

You make the breezes Your messengers,

You make burning fire Your minister.

You set the earth upon its foundation:

from age to age it will stand firm.

Deep oceans covered it like a garment,

and the waters stood high above the mountains;

but You rebuked them and they fled;

at the sound of Your thunder they fled in terror.

They rise to the mountains or sink to the valleys,

to the places You have decreed for them.

You have given them a boundary they must not cross;

they will never come back to cover the earth.

You make springs arise to feed the streams,

that flow in the midst of the mountains.

All the beasts of the field will drink from them

and the wild asses will quench their thirst.

Above them will nest the birds of the sky,

from among the branches their voices will sound.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Holy Spirit is like a wind that blows wherever it pleases: you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. Alleluia.

<Psalm Translation

To see the offical Grail psalms, get the Universalis app from Google Play or from the Amazon Appstore.>

#Psalm103(104)

Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind.

Alleluia.

From Your palace You water the mountains,

and thus You give plenty to the earth.

You bring forth grass for the cattle,

and plants for the service of man.

You bring forth bread from the land,

and wine to make man’s heart rejoice.

Oil, to make the face shine;

and bread to make man’s heart strong.

The trees of the Lord have all that they need,

and the cedars of Lebanon, that He planted.

Small birds will nest there,

and storks at the tops of the trees.

For wild goats there are the high mountains;

the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

He made the moon so that time could be measured;

the sun knows the hour of its setting.

You send shadows and night falls:

then all the beasts of the woods come out,

lion cubs roaring for their prey,

asking God for their food.

When the sun rises they come back together

to lie in their lairs;

man goes out to his labour,

and works until evening.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind.

Alleluia.

#Psalm103(104)

Send forth Your spirit and new life will begin;

You will renew the face of the earth. Alleluia.

How many are Your works, O Lord!

You have made all things in Your wisdom,

and the earth is full of Your creatures.

The sea is broad and immense:

sea-creatures swim there, both small and large,

too many to count.

Ships sail across it;

Leviathan lives there, the monster;

You made him to play with.

All of them look to You

to give them their food when they need it.

You give it to them and they gather;

You open Your hand, they are filled with good things.

But turn away and they are dismayed;

take away their breath, and they die,

once more they will turn into dust.

You will send forth Your breath, they will come to life;

You will renew the face of the earth.

Glory be to the Lord, for ever;

let the Lord rejoice in His works.

He turns His gaze to the earth and it trembles;

He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

as long as I exist, I will sing songs to God.

May my praises be pleasing to Him;

truly I will delight in the Lord.

Let sinners perish from the earth,

let the wicked vanish from existence.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Send forth Your Spirit and new life will begin;

You will renew the face of the earth. Alleluia.

��. The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, Alleluia.

℟. And He who holds all things in being knows every word that is said, Alleluia.

#FirstReading #Romans8:5-27©

Those who follow the leading of God's spirit are all God's sons.

The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things.

It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual.

That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law.

People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God.

Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made His home in you.

In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to Him.

Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through His Spirit living in you.

So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives.

If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God.

The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’

The Spirit Himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God.

And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing His sufferings so as to share His glory.

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.

The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal His sons.

It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.

From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved – our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were – but, as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet – it is something we must wait for with patience.

The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness.

For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit Himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what He means and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

#Responsory

℟. Because through faith you are sons of God in union with Christ Jesus,*

God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of His Son, crying ‘Abba, Father’, Alleluia.

℣. The spirit that God gave us is no craven spirit, but one to inspire strength, love and self-discipline.*

God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of His Son, crying ‘Abba, Father’, Alleluia.

#SecondReading

The sending of the Holy Spirit

When the Lord told His disciples to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, He conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God.

He had promised through the prophets that in these last days He would pour out His Spirit on His servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy.

So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon Him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation.

The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin and gave them new life in Christ.

Luke says that the Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost, after the Lord’s ascension, with power to open the gates of life to all nations and to make known to them the new covenant.

So it was that men of every language joined in singing one song of praise to God and scattered tribes, restored to unity by the Spirit, were offered to the Father as the first-fruits of all the nations.

This was why the Lord had promised to send the Advocate: He was to prepare us as an offering to God.

Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven.

And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above.

Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of God came down upon the Lord and the Lord in turn gave this Spirit to His Church, sending the Advocate from heaven into all the world into which, according to His own words, the devil too had been cast down like lightning.

If we are not to be scorched and made unfruitful, we need the dew of God.

Since we have our accuser, we need an advocate as well.

And so the Lord in His pity for man, who had fallen into the hands of brigands, having Himself bound up His wounds and left for His care two coins bearing the royal image, entrusted him to the Holy Spirit.

Now, through the Spirit, the image and inscription of the Father and the Son have been given to us and it is our duty to use the coin committed to our charge and make it yield a rich profit for the Lord.

#Responsory

℟. When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place and suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind,* and it filled all the house, Alleluia.

℣. While they were all together in one place, suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind,* and it filled all the house, Alleluia.

#Canticle

#TeDeum

God, we praise You; Lord, we proclaim You!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates You.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise You.

Throughout the world Your Holy Church proclaims You.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in You.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of You: give help to Your servants, whom You set free at the price of Your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

The final part of the hymn may be omitted:

Bring Your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are Your inheritance.

Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless You, Lord: we praise You for ever and for ever.

Of Your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

Let Your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in You.

In You, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

#Letuspray.

Lord God,

You sanctify Your Church in every race and nation

by the mystery we celebrate on this day.

Pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind,

and fulfill now in the hearts of Your faithful

what You accomplished when the Gospel was first preached on earth.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.

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dfroza · 5 months

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An instrumental thought that seeks to find its way into the heart of another

(willing to be embraced)

not as something short-lived, that burns away, but something that will last (to always be)

the 2nd track on the new album Ephemeral by Dave Wilson

What shines is a thought that lost its way

A reflective post by John Parsons:

Today I learned that a friend from my childhood recently died.

When we consider our brief lives in this world, it is important to cherish the gift of others whose lives intersect with our own... We are on a journey that leads to what is eternally true and abiding: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8). God is the only enduring Reality in a constantly changing world, and He has designed it this way to cause our hearts to search for him. “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field” - such is the condition of this ephemeral world with its flux and fortunes. The flesh fades because the breath of the LORD blows upon it (Isa. 40:7). God Himself has ordained human life to be a vapor.…

This world is not our home; we are “strangers” here. It is an affliction to wait for the LORD, a sort of “homesickness” of heart... The apostle Paul says our loneliness and alienation prepare for us an “eternal weight of glory” beyond all comparison, because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. “For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Just as the “two-souled” man is unstable in all his ways, so the process of being “educated for eternity” means learning to focus our heart’s passion and hope on the glory of heaven. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

God is our "Rock," a metaphor that implies that He is the immovable foundation and cornerstone of all reality. God is our strong refuge in the stormy changes we all face in this world. His Presence both grounds us and sustains our way. Nonetheless we walk by faith, not by sight, and often the sojourner in this world faces testing and even tribulation. In his despair, Job once asked, "If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare I will wait until my change comes" (Job 14:14).

We must give our secret pain to God, even if we don’t understand it, and even if it refuses to go away... Our hearts are often vexed; we are a mess of mixed motives; we are strong to be made weak, weak to be made strong. We bless and curse from the same mouth... And yet, despite all this, despite our inner contradictions, the dance between the “old man” and “new,” the divided house of our lives - our present sorrows, our troubles, our fears – we must endure ourselves, we must press on, and we must never let go of hope in God's love. Therefore we must not hide ourselves from God’s presence, nor pretend to be what we are not. We are invited to come boldly before the Lord to help in our hour of need (Heb. 4:16). O Lord my God, be Thou my healer, the One who makes me whole... Refa'eini Adonai, ve'eiafei: “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed.” Amen.

Please keep fighting the "good fight" of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). You infinitely matter to heaven; your life has great value; you are significant and you are truly loved by our Heavenly Father... There is a "future and a hope" reserved for you (Jer. 29:11); there is "a white stone, and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand except the one who receives it" (Rev. 2:17). This promise is given to the "one who conquers" because of the love and grace of our God. Indeed, by faith we are made "more than conquerors" (lit. "hyper conquerors") through Yeshua our LORD (Rom. 8:37).

Happy Chanukah and my love and appreciation for you.... May God's overcoming light shine within your heart of faith! Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

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Psalm 103:17a reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm103-17a-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm103-17a-lesson.pdf