Cristy Li

Hail to You, our King, obedient to the Father;
You were led to Your crucifixion
like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.

I pray to You, Lord, in the time of Your favor,
in Your great love — answer me with
Your sure salvation! –Cf. Psalm 69:13

A Psalm of David — Prayer in the Time of Troubles

Save me, O God, for the waters
have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
Many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore what I did not steal.
You God know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from You.
Lord, the Lord Almighty,
may those who hope in You
not be disgraced because of me.
God of Israel,
may those who seek You
not be put to shame because of me.
For I endure the scorn for Your sake
and shame covers my face.
I am a foreigner to my own family,
a stranger to my own mother’s children:
For zeal for Your House consumes me
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
Those who sit at the gate mock me
and I am the song of the drunkards.
I pray to You, Lord,
in the time of Your favor;
In Your great love, O God,
answer me with Your sure salvation.
Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.
Do not let the floodgates engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of Your love;
In Your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide Your face from Your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me;
deliver me because of my foes.
You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies before You.
Scorn has broken my heart
and has my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy but there was none,
for comforters but I found none.
They put gall (something bitter) in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and a trap.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see
and their backs be bent forever.
Pour out Your wrath on them;
let Your fierce anger overtake them.
May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
For they persecute those You wound
and talk about the pain of those You hurt.
Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in Your salvation.
May they be blotted out of the Book of Life
and not listed with the righteous.
As for me, afflicted with pain,
may Your salvation, God, protect me!
I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify Him with thanksgiving!
This will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
The poor will see and be glad — you who seek God,
may your hearts live!
The Lord hears the needy
and does not despise His captive people.
Let heaven and earth praise Him,
the seas and all that move in them
for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;
the children of His servants will inherit it
and those who love His name will dwell there.  –Psalm 69:1-36

You May Know the Joy of Salvation and Eternal Life
in Heaven Today, Through The Good News
of Christ Jesus!

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

Hail to You, Our King!
You alone are compassionate with our faults.
Image Courtesy: Fr. John Louis

The Servant, Light to the Nations

Here is My Servant, whom I uphold (See also: Matthew 12:18; 17:5)

My Chosen, in whom My soul delights.

I have put My Spirit upon Him,

He will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up His voice

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed He will not break

and a dimly  burning wick He will not quench,

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until He has established justice in the earth

and the coastlands wait for His teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it.

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you.

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,  (See also: Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47)

to open the eyes that are blind  (See also: Luke 4:18)

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord, that is My name;

My glory I give to no other,

nor My praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass

and the new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

I tell you of them.  –Isaiah 42:1-9

Triumphant Song of Confidence

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the Stronghold of my life

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

to devour my flesh

my adversaries and foes,

they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me,

yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,

that I will seek after.

to live in the House of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire in His Temple.

For He will hide me in His shelter

in the day of trouble;

He will conceal me under the cover of His tent;

He will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up

above my enemies all around me

and I will offer in His tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy!

I will sing and make melody to the Lord!

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,

be gracious to me and answer me!

Come, my heart says, seek His face!

Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Do not hide Your face from me.

Do not turn Your servant away in anger,

You who have been my help.

Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,

O God of my Salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will take me up.

Teach me Your way, O Lord

and lead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,

for false witness have risen against me

and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the Goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and He will give your your heart courage  (See: Tehillim 27:14)

Wait for the Lord!  –Psalm 27:1-14

• You May Know the Joy of Salvation and Eternal Life
  in Heaven Today Through The Good News
  of Christ Jesus!

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings on Monday of Holy Week, Visit: -USCCB

Christ Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a Cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name.
–Philippians 2:8-9   Image Courtesy: Fr. John Lewis

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem

After Jesus had spoken, He went on ahead going up to Jerusalem. When He had come near Bethpage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives He sent two of the disciples saying, “Go into the village ahead of you and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'”

So those who were sent departed and found it as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, it’s owner asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As Jesus rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As Jesus was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest Heaven’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent the stones would shout out.” –Luke 19:28-40

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness and being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. –Philippians 2:3-11

Related: For Today’s Bible Readings and More Visit: -USCCB