Cristy Li

Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord –Psalm 33:12A (NRSVCE)

The Greatness and Goodness of God

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre, make melody to Him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the Word of the Lord is upright and all His work is done in faithfulness. He love righteousness and justice, the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made and all their host by the breath of His mouth. He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle, He put the deeps in storehouses.

Let all of the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it came to be, He commanded and it stood firm.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing, He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen as His heritage.

The Lord looks down from heaven, He sees all humankind. From where He sits enthroned He watches all the inhabitants of the earth — He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. A king is not saved by his great army, a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory and by its great might it cannot save.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord, He is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in Him because we trust in His holy name.

Let Your steadfast love O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. –Psalm 33:1-22 (NRSVCE)

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Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers but their delight is in the Law of the Lord and on His Law they mediate day and night. –Psalm 1:1-2 (NRSVCE)

The Works of the Flesh

Live by the (Holy) Spirit — do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.

If you are led by the (Holy) Spirit you are not subject to the Law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: Fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities,strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I am warning you as I warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The Fruit of the (Holy) Spirit

By contrast, the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against such things and those who belong to Christ Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also be guided by the (Holy) Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. –Galatians 5:16-26

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The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
– Hebrews 4:12 (NRSVCE)

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“Faith Is a Gift and a Virtue…God is Calling You to Faith.”

Choose this day whom you will serve…
As for me and my household we will serve the Lord. –Joshua 24:15 (NRSVC)

Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges and the officers of Israel and they presented themselves to God. Joshua said to the people. “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel…Now therefore revere the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness, put away all gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the river or the gods the Amorites in whose land you are living but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land.

Therefore we will also serve the Lord, for He is our God.’ –Joshua24:1-2A; 14-19 (NRSVCE)

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Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. —Matthew 6:19

Jesus speaking to his Disciples said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The Sound Eye

“The eye is the lamp of the body, so if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” —Matthew 6:19-23

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Reflections For Our Time – A Timeless Lesson

You Are Who Your Friends Are
Image Courtesy: Catholic Register

I give you a new Commandment: Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Concerning Anger

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment’ but I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the Hell of fire.

So when you are offering your gift at the alter, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go, first to be reconciled to your brother or sister and then come and offer your gift.

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to Court — or your accuser may hand you over to the Judge and the Judge to the guard and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”  Matthew 5:20-26

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