Cristy Li

Jesus said, “I have called you friends because I have made known to you
everything that I have heard from My Father.” –John 15:15B (NRSVCE)

Jesus teaching, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure in a field which someone found and

hid, then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. On finding one pearl

of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of

every kind. When it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down and put the good into baskets but

threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The Angels will come out and separate the

evil from the righteous and throw them (evil ones) into the furnace of fire (Hell) where there

will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” –Matthew 13:44-50

Praise To God For His Holiness

The Lord Our God is Holy! (Psalm 99:9C)

The Lord is King, let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim, let the earth quake!

The Lord is Great in Zion, He is exalted over all the peoples.

Let them praise Your Great and Awesome name. Holy is He!

Mighty King, lover of justice, You have established equity;

You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Extol the Lord Our God; Worship at His footstool. Holy is He!

The Lord Our God is Holy! (Psalm 99:9C)

Moses and Aaron were among His Priests,

Samuel was also among those who called on His name.

They cried to the Lord and He answered them.

The Lord Our God is Holy! (Psalm 99:9C)

He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;

They kept His decrees and the statutes that He gave them.

O Lord Our God, You answered them;

You were a forgiving God to them but an Avenger of their wrongdoings.

The Lord Our God is Holy! (Psalm 99:9C)

Extol the Lord Our God and worship at His Holy mountain;

For the Lord Our God is Holy! –Psalm 99:1-9

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You have received a Spirit of Adoption, when we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ –Romans 8:15B (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: Archbishop Jose Gomez

Thanksgiving and Praise

Lord, on the day I called, You answered me. (Psalm 138:3)

I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

In the presence of the ‘Angels’ (Psalm 138:1 NABRE) I sing Your praise.

I bow down toward Your Holy Temple and give Thanks to Your Name for Your steadfast love and

Your faithfulness; For You have exalted Your name and Your Word above everything.

On the day I called, You answered me, You increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, for they have heard the Words of Your mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the Glory of the Lord.

For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me against the wrath of my enemies.

You stretch out Your hand and Your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of Your hands. –Psalm 138:1-8

Lord, on the day I called, You answered me. (Psalm 138:3)

The Lord’s Prayer

Jesus was praying in a certain place and after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him,

‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’

Jesus said to them, “When you pray say:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone

indebted to us and do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Perseverance In Prayer

Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and you go to him at midnight and say to

him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived and I have nothing

to set before him and he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me, the door has already been

locked and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’  I tell you,

even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because

of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

So I say to you, Ask and it will be given you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will

be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives and everyone who searches finds and for everyone who

knocks, the door will be opened.

Is there anyone among you who, if your child ask for a fish will give a snake instead of a fish?

Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the

Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” –Luke 11:1-13

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With joy, blessed are the ones who, when they hear The Word, hold it fast in an honest
and good heart and bear fruit with patient endurance. –Cf. Luke 8:15 (NRSVCE)

Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right
and speak the truth from their heart. (Psalm 15:2)

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?

Who may dwell on Your Holy Hill?

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right and speak truth from their heart.

Who do not slander with their tongue and do no evil to their friends,

nor take up a reproach against their neighbors,

in whose eyes the wicked are despised but who honor those who fear the Lord,

who stand by their oath even to the hurt,

who do not lend money at interest and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved. –Psalm 15:1-5

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Our help is in the Name of the Lord –Psalm 124:8A (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: St. Paul Street Evangelization

Thanksgiving For Israel’s Deliverance

Our help is in the name of the Lord! (Psalm 124:8A)

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say — If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when our enemies attacked us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us, then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the Lord who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord! (Psalm 124:8A)

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the Fowlers, the snare is broken  and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. –Psalm 124:1-8

Whom To Fear

Jesus said, “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light and what you have whispered, proclaim from the housetops.

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father and even the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid, you are of more value than many sparrows.

Everyone therefore acknowledge who acknowledges Me before others, I also will acknowledge before My Father in Heaven but whoever denies Me before others, I also will deny before My Father in Heaven.

Not Peace But Sword

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and ones foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; Whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; Whoever does not take up the Cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life for My sake will find it.

Rewards

Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me and whoever welcomes Me
welcomes the One who sent Me.

Whoever welcomes a Prophet in the name of the Prophet will receive a Prophet’s reward and whoever welcomes a Righteous Person will receive the reward of the Righteous and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a Disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Now when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve Disciples, He went on from there to teach and proclaim His message in their cities. –Matthew 10:26-42; 11:1

Related: Today’s Bible Readings here and here on the Memorial of St. Bonaventure -USCCB

Jesus said, “…The Words that I have spoken to you are the Spirit and Life.”
Simon Peter answered, ‘…You have the Words of Eternal Life.’ – CF. John 6:63B; 68B (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: Sister Veronica Paul

The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

The Decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;

The Precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The Commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;

The Fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever;

The Ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. –Psalm 19:7-10

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Then a Lawyer stood up to test Jesus, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit Eternal Life?’

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?”

The Lawyer answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.’ (Deuteronomy 6:49; Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus replied to him, “You have given the right answer, do this and you shall live.”

Wanting to justify himself, the Lawyer asked Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbor?’

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of

robbers, who stripped him, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a

Priest was going down the road and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So

likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side but a

Samaritan while traveling came near him and when he saw him. he was moved with pity. He

(the Samaritan) went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them.

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an Inn and took care of him. The next day,

he took out two Denarii (silver coins) gave them to the Innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him

and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three do you

think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

The Lawyer said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’

Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” –Luke 10:25-37

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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called to one body and be thankful.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. –Colossians 3:15-16A (NRSVCE)
Image Courtesy: St. Paul Center

The Mission of the Seventy

The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself intended to go. He (The Lord Jesus) said to them, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, therefore ask the the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ If anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick who are there and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. You know this, the Kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day, it will be more tolerable for Sodom that for that town.

Whoever listens to you listens to Me and whoever rejects you rejects Me and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

The Return of the Seventy

The seventy returned with joy saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’

He (Jesus) said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Se I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” –Luke 10:1-12;16-20

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