isaiah 45: "I am the LORD, there is no other, there is no God besides me."

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
Subduing nations before him,
stripping kings of their strength,
Opening doors before him,
leaving the gates unbarred:
I will go before you
and level the mountains;
Bronze doors I will shatter,
iron bars I will snap.

I will give you treasures of darkness,

riches hidden away,
That you may know I am the LORD,
the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel my chosen one,
I have called you by name,
giving you a title, though you do not know me.

I am the LORD, there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you do not know me,
so that all may know, from the rising of the sun
to its setting, that there is none besides me.

I am the LORD, there is no other.

I form the light, and create the darkness,
I make weal and create woe;

I, the LORD, do all these things.

Let justice descend, you heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the clouds drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let righteousness spring up with them!

I, the LORD, have created this.

Woe to anyone who contends with their Maker;

a potsherd among potsherds of the earth!

Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing?”

or, “What you are making has no handles”?

Woe to anyone who asks a father, “What are you begetting?”

or a woman, “What are you giving birth to?”
Thus says the LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, his maker:
Do you question me about my children,
tell me how to treat the work of my hands?
It was I who made the earth
and created the people upon it;
It was my hands that stretched out the heavens;
I gave the order to all their host.
It was I who stirred him up for justice;
all his ways I make level.
He shall rebuild my city
and let my exiles go free
Without price or payment,
says the LORD of hosts.
Thus says the LORD:
The earnings of Egypt, the gain of Ethiopia,
and the Sabeans, tall of stature,
Shall come over to you and belong to you;
they shall follow you, coming in chains.
Before you they shall bow down,
saying in prayer:
“With you alone is God; and there is none other,
no other god!

Truly with you God is hidden,

the God of Israel, the savior!

They are put to shame and disgrace, all of them;

they go in disgrace who carve images.

Israel has been saved by the LORD,
saved forever!
You shall never be put to shame or disgrace
in any future age.”

For thus says the LORD,

The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not as an empty waste did he create it,
but designing it to be lived in:
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I have not spoken in secret
from some place in the land of darkness,
I have not said to the descendants of Jacob,
“Look for me in an empty waste.”
I, the LORD, promise justice,
I declare what is right.

Come and assemble, gather together,
you fugitives from among the nations!
They are without knowledge who bear wooden idols

and pray to gods that cannot save.
Come close and declare;
let them take counsel together:
Who announced this from the beginning,
declared it from of old?
Was it not I, the LORD,
besides whom there is no other God?
There is no just and saving God but me.
Turn to me and be safe,
all you ends of the earth,
for I am God; there is no other!
By myself I swear,
uttering my just decree,
a word that will not return:
To me every knee shall bend;
by me every tongue shall swear,

Saying, “Only in the LORD
are just deeds and power.
Before him in shame shall come
all who vent their anger against him.
In the LORD all the descendants of Israel
shall have vindication and glory.” 

Isaiah 45

Turn to Me (John Foley, SJ) - YouTube 

Isaiah 45:19 | Sapphire Dream Photography | Flickr

Luke 15: 1-7, the LORD is my shepherd

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. 

Luke 15: 1-7

Like a Shepherd (Bob Dufford, SJ) - YouTube

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bernhard_Plockhorst_-_Good_Shephard.jpg

Bernhard Plockhorst [Public domain]

psalm 139: "LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar."

For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

you know when I sit and stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

You sift through my travels and my rest; 

with all my ways you are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.

Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.

If I take the wings of dawn

and dwell beyond the sea,

Even there your hand guides me,

your right hand holds me fast.
If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light”

Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.

II

You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;

my days were shaped, before one came to be.

III

How precious to me are your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands;
when I complete them, still you are with me.

When you would destroy the wicked, O God,
the bloodthirsty depart from me!

Your foes who conspire a plot against you
are exalted in vain.

IV

Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you?
Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?

With fierce hatred I hate them,
enemies I count as my own.
Probe me, God, know my heart;
try me, know my thoughts.

See if there is a wicked path in me;
lead me along an ancient path.

Psalm 139

No one can withstand you as long as you live. As I was with Moses, I will be with you: I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and steadfast, so that you may give this people possession of the land I swore to their ancestors that I would give them. Only be strong and steadfast, being careful to observe the entire law which Moses my servant enjoined on you. Do not swerve from it either to the right or to the left, that you may succeed wherever you go. Do not let this book of the law depart from your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may carefully observe all that is written in it; then you will attain your goal; then you will succeed. I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1: 5-9

 

Yahweh, I Know You Are Near ~ Dan Schutte - YouTube 

Psalm 139 | Wesley Fryer | Flickr

"forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us"

we are victims: a flat tire, a slight, a setback, a hardship, a crime, an illness, etc.
we are victimizers: lying, cheating, stealing, prejudice, hate, pride, selfishness, etc. 

we seek forgiveness for our sins, but do we forgive others?

"...forgive us our sins, 
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

Luke 11: 4 

"Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors;

and do not subject us to the final test,

but deliver us from the evil one.

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." 

Matthew 6: 11-15

"Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander; like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in scripture:

“Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.”

Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” and

“A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.”

They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were “no people”
but now you are God’s people;
you “had not received mercy”
but now you have received mercy. 

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul. Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that if they speak of you as evildoers, they may observe your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation. 

Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the approval of those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king. 

Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse. For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace. But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. 

1 Peter 2 

"Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." 

1 Peter 1: 17-21 

The Lord's Prayer - Hillsong Worship - YouTube

1 Peter 1:6-7 | flattop341 | Flickr

Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature, mark 16: 15

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

[And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter’s companions. Afterwards Jesus himself, through them, sent forth from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]

Mark 16: 15-20

The Summons - YouTube 

image by Church Iglesia

Mark 16-15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the worl… | Flickr

psalm 145, beyond the moon and stars, Dan Schutte

Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and king;
I will bless your name forever and ever. 

Every day I will bless you;

I will praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise,

whose grandeur is beyond understanding. 

One generation praises your deeds to the next
and proclaims your mighty works.

They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory,
tell of your wonderful deeds.

They speak of the power of your awesome acts
and recount your great deeds.

They celebrate your abounding goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

The LORD is good to all,
compassionate toward all your works.

All your works give you thanks, LORD
and your faithful bless you.

They speak of the glory of your reign
and tell of your mighty works,

Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts,
the majestic glory of your rule.

Your reign is a reign for all ages,
your dominion for all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all his words,
and loving in all his works.

The LORD supports all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look hopefully to you;
you give them their food in due season.

You open wide your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 

The LORD is just in all his ways,
merciful in all his works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he destroys.

My mouth will speak the praises of the LORD;
all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever. 

psalm 145

Beyond the Moon and Stars - YouTube 

Psalm 145:14-16 | WC Ferrell | Flickr

surrender everything to God

Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of the whole assembly. David said:
“Blessed are you, LORD,

God of Israel our father,

from eternity to eternity.

Yours, LORD, are greatness and might,

majesty, victory, and splendor.

For all in heaven and on earth is yours;

yours, LORD, is kingship;

you are exalted as head over all.

Riches and glory are from you,
and you have dominion over all.
In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give greatness and strength to all.

Therefore, our God, we give you thanks
and we praise the majesty of your name.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should have the means to contribute so freely? For everything is from you, and what we give is what we have from you. For before you we are strangers and travelers, like all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without a future. LORD our God, all this wealth that we have brought together to build you a house for your holy name comes from you and is entirely yours. I know, my God, that you put hearts to the test and that you take pleasure in integrity. With a whole heart I have willingly given all these things, and now with joy I have seen your people here present also giving to you generously. LORD, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep such thoughts in the hearts and minds of your people forever, and direct their hearts toward you. Give to my son Solomon a wholehearted desire to keep your commandments, precepts, and statutes, that he may carry out all these plans and build the palace for which I have made preparation.”

Then David told the whole assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God!” And the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their ancestors, bowing down in homage before the LORD and before the king. On the following day they brought sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, together with their libations and many other sacrifices for all Israel; and on that day they ate and drank in the LORD’s presence with great rejoicing." 

1 Chronicles 29: 10-22

There are many things that we need to let go of. In our final days on earth, we must surrender everything to God. 

These Alone are Enough (Dan Schutte) - YouTube 

Take Lord Receive - lyrics included - sung by Maureen - YouTube 

1. Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, 
My memory, understanding, my entire will. 

Refrain:

Give me only Your love and Your grace, that's enough for me.
Your love and Your grace, are enough for me.

2. Take, Lord, receive all I have and possess. 
You have given all to me, now I return it. 

3. Take, Lord, receive, all is Yours now. 
Dispose of it, wholly according to Your will

Composer: John Foley 

image by Sapphire Dream Photography

1 Chronicles 29:11 | Middle part of verse only. | Sapphire Dream Photography | Flickr

be still and know that God is with you (psalm 46)

For the leader. 
A song of the Korahites. 
According to alamoth.

I

God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.

Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken

and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,

Though its waters rage and foam

and mountains totter at its surging.

Selah

II

Streams of the river gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.

God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken;
God will help it at break of day.

Though nations rage and kingdoms totter,

he utters his voice and the earth melts.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

Selah

III

Come and see the works of the LORD,

who has done fearsome deeds on earth;

Who stops wars to the ends of the earth,

breaks the bow, splinters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire;

“Be still and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
exalted on the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

Psalm 46


Though the Mountains May Fall (Dan Schutte) - YouTube 

bestill | jiali_382 | Flickr

Psalm 38

I

LORD, do not punish me in your anger;

in your wrath do not chastise me!

Your arrows have sunk deep in me; 

your hand has come down upon me.

There is no wholesomeness in my flesh because of your anger;

there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

My iniquities overwhelm me,

a burden too heavy for me. 

II

Foul and festering are my sores

because of my folly.

I am stooped and deeply bowed;

every day I go about mourning.

My loins burn with fever;

there is no wholesomeness in my flesh.

I am numb and utterly crushed;

I wail with anguish of heart.

My Lord, my deepest yearning is before you;

my groaning is not hidden from you.

My heart shudders, my strength forsakes me;

the very light of my eyes has failed.

Friends and companions shun my disease;

my neighbors stand far off.

Those who seek my life lay snares for me;

they seek my misfortune, they speak of ruin;

they plot treachery every day.

III

But I am like the deaf, hearing nothing,

like the mute, I do not open my mouth,

I am even like someone who does not hear,

who has no answer ready.

LORD, it is for you that I wait;

O Lord, my God, you respond.

For I have said that they would gloat over me,

exult over me if I stumble.

IV

I am very near to falling;

my wounds are with me always.

I acknowledge my guilt

and grieve over my sin.

My enemies live and grow strong,

those who hate me grow numerous fraudulently,

Repaying me evil for good,

accusing me for pursuing good.

Do not forsake me, O LORD;

my God, be not far from me!

Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my salvation! 

Psalm 38 


Summer of Psalms (Psalm 38) on Vimeo 

sermon on the mount, matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. 

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

Matthew 5

“[But] take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. 

Matthew 6

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. 

Matthew 7

We Are the Light of the World -Jean A. Greif lyrics - YouTube

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"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"

Psalm 22: ‘My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?’ – Franciscan Media

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James Tissot [No restrictions or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Litany of the Life and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, the eternal Wisdom,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, conversing with men,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, hated by the world,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, prostrate in prayer, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, strengthened by an angel,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, agonizing in a bloody sweat,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, betrayed by Judas with a kiss,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, bound by the soldiers,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, forsaken by your disciples,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, before Annas and Caiaphas,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck by a servant on the face,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, accused by false witnesses,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, declared worthy of death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, spit upon in the face,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, blindfolded,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, smitten on the cheek,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, thrice denied by Peter,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, delivered up to Pilate,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, despised and mocked by Herod,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, clothed in a white garment,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, rejected for Barabbas, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, torn by sources,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, bruised for our sins,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, regarded as a leper,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, covered with a purple robe,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, crowned with thorns,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, struck with a reed,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, demanded for crucifixion,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, condemned to death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, given up to your enemies,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, laden with the Cross, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, led as a lamb to the slaughter,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, stripped of your garmenets,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, fastened with nails to the Cross,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, wounded for our iniquities,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, praying for your murderers,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, reputed with the wicked,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, blasphemed on the Cross, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, reviled by the malefactor,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, giving Paradise to the thief,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, commending Saint John to your Mother as her son, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, forsaken by your Father,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, given fall and vinegar to drink,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, testifying that all things written concerning you were accomplished
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, commending your spirit into the hands of your Father, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, obedient even unto death,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, pierced with a lance, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, made a propiation for us, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, taken down from the Cross, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, laid in a sepulcher,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, rising gloriously from the dead,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, ascending into heaven, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, our Advocate with the Father, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, sending down the Holy Spirit, 
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, exalting your Mother,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, who shall come to judge the living and the dead,
Have mercy on us. 

Be merciful,
spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, 
graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil, 
deliver us, O Jesus.
From all sin, 
deliver us, O Jesus.
From anger, hatred, and every evil will,
deliver us, O Jesus.
From war, famine, and pestilence, 
deliver us, O Jesus.
From all dangers of mind and body, 
deliver us, O Jesus.
From everlasting death,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your most pure conception,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your miraculous nativity,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your humble circumcision,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your baptism and fasting,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your labors and watchings,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your cruel scourging and crowning,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your thirst, and tears, and nakedness,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your precious death and Cross,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your glorious resurrection and ascension,
deliver us, O Jesus.
Through your sending forth the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
deliver us, O Jesus.

On the day of judgment, we sinners,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would spare us,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would pardon us, 
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would bring us to true penance,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would pour into our hearts the grace of the Holy Spirit,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would defend and propagate your Church,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would preserve and increase all societies assembled in your holy Name,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would bestow upon us true peace, humility, and charity,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would give us perseverance in grace and in your holy service,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would deliver us from unclean thoughts, the temptations of the devil, and everlasting damnation,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would unite us to the company of your Saints,
we beseech you, hear us.
That you would graciously hear us,
we beseech you, hear us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Litany of the Passion - Prayers - Catholic Online

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Carl Bloch [Public domain or CC BY 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons