And The Earth Shook...!

"Stay awake, then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Just think about this: if the owner of the house knew that the thief would come by night around a certain hour, he would stay awake to prevent his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.

"Imagine a capable servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate indeed is that servant whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly, I say to you, his lord will entrust that one with everything he has.

"Not so with the bad servant who thinks: My master is delayed. And he begins ill-treating his fellow servants while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know and at the hour he least expects. He will dismiss that servant and deal with him as with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

MATTHEW 24:42-51

"Lord, grant me the grace to be ready to face You every day!"

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A World Of Hypocrites

From www.tourism.gov.ph

"Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs beautiful in appearance, but inside there are only dead bones and uncleanness. In the same way you appear as religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within.

"Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. You say: Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in the blood of prophets. And now, finish off what your ancestors began!"

MATTHEW 23:27-32

"What do I do now that Jesus won't do?"

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The Force Is With Us

From www.isi.edu

"But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence!

"See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priest and the people of the land. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you--it is Yahweh who speaks."

JEREMIAH 1:17-19

"I am beautiful, I am loved.
I am forgiven by the mercy of God!"
(St. Catherine)

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Lead

"Therefore, woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow others to do so.

"Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to win a single convert, yet once he is converted, you turn him twice as fit for hell as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides! You say: To swear by the Temple is not binding, but to swear by the treasure of the Temple is. Blind fools! Which is of more worth? The gold in the Temple or the Temple which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say: To swear by the altar is not binding, but to swear by the offering on the altar is. How blind you are! Which is of more value: the offering on the altar or the altar which makes the offering sacred? Whoever swears by the altar is swearing by the altar and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the Temple is swearing by it and by God who dwells in the Temple. Whoever swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it."

MATTHEW 23:13-22

"Lord, open my eyes to areas in my life
that I must change or improve
that I may be a better guide
to people You want me to lead to You."

---

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Beyond Rights

"Let all kinds of submission to one another become obedience to Christ. So wives to their husbands: as to the Lord.

"The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of whom he is also the Savior. And as the Church submits to Christ, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband.

"As for you, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. He washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word. As he wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, he himself had to prepare and present her to himself.

"In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what Christ does for the Church, because we are part of his body.

"Scripture says: Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the Church."

EPHESIANS 5:21-32

"Lord, teach me that it is better to love than to be right."

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Truly Great

From www.stanthonycatholic.org

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

"'The Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them. They do everything in order to be seen by people; so they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first place at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and being greeted in the marketplace and being called "Master" by the people.

"'But you, do not let yourselves be called Master because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called leader, because Christ is the only leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.'"

MATTHEW 23:1-12

"Make me a servant,
so that Your greatness may be made visible to all."

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Gift

"The people who heard him were astonished at his teaching.

"When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, 'Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?'

"Jesus answered, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments."

MATTHEW 22:34-40

"Dear Jesus, teach me to see beyond what my eyes can see.
Reveal to me Your face in everyone I meet so that I may love them as You want me to."

---

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He Will Find You

From www.catholic.net

"Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets as well: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.'

"Nathanael replied, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, 'Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.' Nathanael asked him, 'How do you know me?' And Jesus said to him, 'Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you.'

"Nathanael answered, 'Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' But Jesus replied, 'You believe because I said: "I saw you under the fig tree." But you will see greater things than that.

"'Truly I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'"

JOHN 1:45-51

"Open the eyes of my heart Lord,
that I may see You face to face."

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Vocation

"The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, 'Son of man, speak on my behalf against the shepherds of Israel! Say to the shepherds on my behalf: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? But you feed on milk and are clothed in wool, and you slaughter the fattest sheep. You have not taken care of the flock, you have not strengthened the weak, cared for the sick or bandaged the injured. You have not gone after the sheep that strayed or searched for the one that was lost. Instead you ruled them harshly and were their oppressors. They have scattered for want of a shepherd and became prey of wild animals. My sheep wander over the mountains and high hills; and when they are scattered throughout the land, no one bothers about them or looks for them.

"Hear then shepherds, what Yahweh says: As I live--word of Yahweh,--because my sheep have been the prey of wild animals and become their food for want of shepherds, because the shepherds have not cared for my sheep, because you shepherds have not bothered about them but fed yourselves and not the flocks, because of that, hear the word of Yahweh. This is what Yahweh says: I will ask an account of the shepherds and reclaim my sheep from them. No longer shall they tend my flock; nor shall there be shepherds who feed themselves. I shall save the flock from their mouths and no longer shall it be food for them.

"Indeed Yahweh says this: I myself will care for my sheep and watch over them."

EZEKIEL 34:1-11

"Lord, teach me to love You in all that I do."

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Bliss

Canon EOS 350D, f8, 1/160 sec

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I say to you: it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe me: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.'

"On hearing this the disciples were astonished and said, 'Who, then, can be saved?' Jesus looked steadily at them and answered, 'For humans it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.'

"Then Peter spoke up and said, 'You see we have given up everything to follow you: what will be our lot?'

"Jesus answered, 'You who have followed me, listen to my words: on the Day of Renewal, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you, too, will sit on twelve thrones to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for my Name's sake, they will receive a hundredfold and be given eternal life. Many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.'"

MATTHEW 19:23-30

"Lord Jesus, teach me the true meaning of happiness."

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Unchristian?

From http://www.therealpresence.org

"It was then that a young man approached him and asked, 'Master, what good wor kmust I do to receive eternal life?' Jesus answered, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? Only one is Good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.'

"The young man said to him, 'Which commandments?' Jesus replied, 'Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.'

"The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these commandments, what is still lacking?' Jesus answered, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you possess and give the money to the poor and you will become the owner of a treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.'

"On hearing this answer, the young man went away sad for he was a man of great wealth."

MATTHEW 19:16-22

"May I learn to be merciful towards those
who are not as merciful to me."

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Non-Negotiable

"'I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world.'

"The Jews were arguing among themselves, 'How can this man give us flesh to eat?' So Jesus replied, 'Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood live with eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.

"'My flesh is really food and my blood is drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread which came from heaven; unlike that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.'"

JOHN 6:51-58

"You are the Living Bread, O Jesus.
You are in the Holy Eucharist.
I believe. I receive. Amen."

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Lessons from Children

"Then little children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them with a prayer. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. Jesus then said, 'Let them be! Do not stop the children from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people such as these.' So Jesus laid his hands on them and went his way."

MATTHEW 19:13-15

"Dear Lord, may I be childlike in my faith
and surrender to You. Amen."

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Which is Which?

Canon S45

"Some Pharisees approached him. They wanted to test him and asked, 'Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?'

"Jesus replied, 'Have you not read that in the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and he said: Man has now to leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body? So they are no longer two but one body; let no one separate what God has joined.'

"They asked him, 'Then, why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order to divorce?' Jesus replied, 'Moses knew your stubborn heart, so he allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not so in the beginning. Therefore I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, unless it be for infidelity, and marries another, commits adultery.'

"The disciples said, 'If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.' Jesus said to them, 'Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those who have received this gift. Some are born incapable of marriage. Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the possibility of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can accept it, accept it.'"

MATTHEW 19:3-12

"Show me how else I can please You, Lord,
in all that I do. Amen."

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Blessed Are The Children

"Then Peter asked him, 'Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?' Jesus answered, 'No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'

"'This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, children and all his goods in payment.

"'The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, "Give me time, and I will pay you back everything." The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt.

"'This official then left the king's presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost strangled him, shouting, "Pay me what you owe!" His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, "Give me time, and I will pay everything." The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid his debt.

"'His companions saw what happened. They were indignant and so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his official and said, "Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Weren't you bound to have pity on your companion as I had pity on you?" The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.'

"Jesus added, 'So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister.'

"When Jesus had finished this teaching, he left Galilee and arrived at the border of Judea, on the other side of the Jordan River."

MATTHEW 18:21-19:1

"Lord, grant me the grace that I may do the same to those that wrong me,
regardless of their offense. Amen."

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Journey To Understand God

Canon S45

"Then he shouted loudly in my ears saying, 'The punishment is near; see each one of these has in his hand his instrument of destruction.' And six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each one with his instrument of destruction. With them was a man clothed in linen with writing material at his side. They came and stopped near the altar of bronze.

"Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from the cherubim where it rested and went to the threshold of the house, Yahweh called to the man clothed in linen who had the material for writing at his side, and he said to him, 'Pass through the center of the city, through Jerusalem, and trace a cross on the forehead of the men who sigh and groan because of all the abominations committed in it.'

"I heard him say to the others, 'Now you may pass through the city after him and strike. Your eyes shall not look with pity; show no mercy! Do away with them all--old men, young men, virgins, children and women--but do not touch anyone marked with a cross.'

"And as they were told to begin with the sanctuary, they struck the elders who were in front of the Temple. Yahweh said to them, 'Let the courts be filled with the slain and the Temple be defiled with their blood; go out!'

"The Glory of Yahweh went from above the threshold of the house and went to rest on the cherubim. Then the cherubim left, opening their wings and rising above the earth in my sight, and the wheels went with them. They halted at the east gate of the house of Yahweh and the Glory of the God of Israel was over them.

"These were the living creatures I had seen under the God of Israel on the banks of the river Chebar. I recognized them as cherubim. Each had four faces, each had four wings and they had what seemed like human hands under their wings. As fo the appearance of their faces, they were the faces I had seen by the river Chebar, the same likeness. Each one went straight ahead."

EZEKIEL 9:1-7; 10:18-22

"Lord, reveal Yourself to my heart.
Show Your face more to me!"

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No Bounds

Canon S45, f4.5, 1/1002 sec

"But no, Christ has been raised from the dead and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. All die for being Adam's, an in Christ all will receive life. However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ's people, when he visits them.

"Then the end will come, when Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. As Scripture says: God has subjected everything under his feet.

"When we say that everything is put under his feet, we exclude, of course, the Father who subjects everything to him."

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-27

"Thank You, Lord, for defeating all my enemies."

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Paying Dues

"While Jesus was in Galilee with the Twelve, he said to them, 'The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands, and they will kill him. But he will rise on the third day.' The Twelve were deeply grieved.

"When they returned to Capernaum, the Temple tax collectors came to Peter and asked him, 'Does your master pay the temple tax?' He answered, 'Certainly.'

"Peter then entered the house, but immediately Jesus asked him, 'What do you think, Simon? Who pay taxes or tributes to the kings of the earth: their sons or the other people?' Peter replied, 'The others.' And Jesus told him, 'The sons, then, are tax-free. But so as not to offend this people, go to the sea, throw in a hook and open the mouth of the first fish you catch. You will find a coin in it, take it and let it pay for you and for me.'"

MATTHEW 17:22-27

"Make us generous, Lord, to want to share our blessing to You
from the deepness of our hearts. Amen.""

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Spitting Image

"Do not sadden the Holy Spirit of God which you were marked with. It will be your distinctive mark on the day of salvation. Do away with all quarreling, rage, anger, insults and every kind of malice: be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ.

"As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate him. Follow the way of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God."

EPHESIANS 4:30-5:2

"Father, make me more like You each day."

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Faith

Pentax Optio S50

"When they met the people, a man approached Jesus, knelt before him and said, 'Sir, have pity on my son who is an epileptic and is in wretched state. he has often fallen into the fire and at other times into the water. I brought him to your disciples but they could not heal him.'

"Jesus replied, 'You, faithless and evil people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me?' And Jesus commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and the boy was immediately healed.

"The disciples then gathered around Jesus and asked him privately, 'Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?' Jesus said to them, 'Because you have little faith. I say to you: if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey. Nothing would be impossible to you.'"

MATTHEW 17:14-20

"Lord, there are times I want to immediately fight the battle for You.
Let me be aware, though, that I need to be fully armed to win it."

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Industrial Stewardship

From http://www.franciscanfriars.com

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self.

"'Know that the Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man coming as king.'"

MATTHEW 16:24-28

"Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace."
(Prayer of St. Francis)

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Blessing Of A Cheerful Giver

Canon S45

"Remember: the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

"Scripture says: He distributed, he gave to the poor, his good works last forever. God who provides the sower with seed will aslo provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interests of your good works."

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-10

"Father, thank You for the unexpected graces that You shower us,
especially when we don't deserve it."

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We Are Shaped By Our Beliefs

"Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, 'Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.' But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, 'Send her away: see how she is shouting after us.'

"Then Jesus said to her, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.'

"But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, 'Sir, help me!' Jesus answered, 'It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs.' The woman replied, 'It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.' Then Jesus said, 'Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.' And her daughter was healed at that moment."

MATTHEW 15:21-28

"Lord, I open my life to the wealth of blessings in the universe.
I open my life to the abundance that You wish to pour into my life!"

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Enter In

Canon S45, f2.8, 1/1002 sec

"This is another word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh:

"Yahweh, God of Israel says, 'Write in a book all that I have communicated to you'

"Yahweh says,
'Your wound is incurable,
your injury is grievous.
There is no one to plead your cause.
There is a remedy for an ulcer
but no healing for you!
All your lovers have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
For I struck you as an enemy does,
with a cruel punishment,
because of your great guilt
and the wickedness of your sin.
Why cry out now that you are hurt?
Is there no cure fo ryour pain?
Because of your great crime and grievous sin I have done this for you.'

"Yahweh says, 'I will restore my people into Jacob's tents and have pity on his dwellings. Jacob's tents and have pity on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt over its ruins and the palace restored on its proper place. From them will come songs of praise and the sound of merrymaking.

"'I will multiply them an they shall not be few. I will bestow honor on them and they shall not be despised. Their children willb e as before and their communityu will be established before me. I will ask their oppressors to account.

"'Their leader will be one of themselves, their ruler shall emerge from their midst. I will bring him close to me for who would dare to approach me? You shall be my people and I shall be your God.'"

JEREMIAH 30:1-2,12-15,18-22

"Thank You, Jesus, for being my High Priest
and for making a way for me to the Father."

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Ridiculous

From http://www.encyclopedie-hp.org

"On hearing this, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place. But the people heard of it, and they followed him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, he saw the crowd gathered there and he had compassion on them. And he healed their sick.

"Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, 'We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.'

"But Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.' They answered, 'We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.' Jesus said to them, 'Bring them here to me.'

"Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there besides women and children."

"'Man of little faith, why did you doubt?'"

MATTHEW 14:13-21

"Banish worrying from my life, Lord."

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The Butterfly Tree

From http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/butterfly/index.html

"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus.

"Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe. But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.' And suddenly, as the looked around, they no longer saw anyone execept Jesus with them.

"As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what 'to rise from the dead' could mean."

MARK 9:2-10

"May I see beyond caterpillars and instead
see them as potential butterflies."

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Diversionary Tactics

"At that time the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, 'This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.'

"Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in priosn because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, 'It is not right for yhou to have her as wife.' Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet.

"On Herod's birhtday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests, she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advise of her mother, said, 'Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.'

"The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.

"Then John's disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus."

MATTHEW 14:1-12

"Lord, You died to save me from MY sins.
For this I have no words."

---

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Been There, Done That

"He went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, 'Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother and aren't James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren't all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?' And so they took offense at him.

"Jesus said to them,'The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.' And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith."

MATTHEW 13:54-58

"Thank You, Lord, that You have been through all that a person
can possibly ever undergo in a lifetime, and more."

---

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The Storeroom Of Our Life

From http://www.thethreemonkeys.com

"'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.'

"Jesus asked, 'Have you understood all these things?' 'Yes,' they answered. So he said to them, 'You will see that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom is like a householder who can produce from his store things both new and old.'

"When Jesus had finished these parables, he left the place."

MATTHEW 13:47-53

"Holy Spirit, I accept all that You allow to happen to me
and to do Your will."

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The Good Life

"Deliver me from my enemies, O God, from those who rise up against me.

"Deliver me from evildoers; rescue me from the bloodthirsty.

"Look, they lie in wait for my lfe; the mighty conspiring against me, for no fault of mine, O Lord.

"O my Strength, I look up to you, for you, O God, are my fortress.

"My loving God will come to help me and let me see my enemies fall.

"Each evening let them return, howling like dogs, prowling about the city, roaming about for food, growling and never filled.

"But I will sing of your might; in the morning I will sing of your love. For you have been a fotress to me, a refuge in time of distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my stronghold; you are a loving God."

PSALM 59:2-4,10-11,17-18

"Lord, teach me to use Your blessings to help others."

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Ready For Sowing... Again

Canon EOS 350D, f9, 1/125 sec

"Then he sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.' Jesus answered them, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and workers are the angels.

"'Just as the weeds are puuled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.'"

MATTHEW 13:36-43

"Lord, my life is in Your hands.
Use me and make me bear fruit."

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