Computer Cud    Vatican II asks us to read the Bible every day, 
 'to have a burning love'   for the Word of God  
         Resolution

This plan follows the Sunday liturgy:  reading + psalm + reading + gospel             
From  www.simplebible.info              Previous Bible Blogs 

O Holy Spirit, may these passages give us hope, wisdom, compassion,
courage and peace for our daily life
             Chinese text

 Bible Blog   November 28, 2013     Comments welcome here

  Reading:  Leviticus 24-25

God's words through Moses:
"Every seventh year your land is to have a rest,
a Sabbath for the Lord.
Every fifty years will be a Year of Jubilee:
no sowing, no harvesting, a time for freeing slaves".

Reflection:
What happened during the last Jewish Year of Jubilee in 2007
- confusion in Israel about the production of food!
More seriously, "giving the land a rest" makes sense from an agricultural point of view, and is part of various crop rotation programs

Prayer: Dear God, please increase our appreciation of the wisdom contained in the ancient Bible passages

 

Reading: Psalm 108

My heart is ready, O God. I will sing, sing your praise.
Awake, lyre and harp. I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
praise you among the nations,

for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O Lord, come and deliver us today.
Help us with your right hand.

Give us help in difficult situations.
With your help we shall be brave.

Reflection: 
With TV and the internet and other recent forms of entertainment, 
people are going to bed later, and, when they can, getting up later and sleeping during the day.
But when we have the chance and motivation, getting up early in the morning is a beautiful experience....the best time for reflection and prayer, especially in a setting that has trees, flowers, birds, a pool of water etc. So we read above how King David used to get up early and use his lyre and harp to pray

Prayer:  Lord, please help me sometimes get up early!

 

Reading:  1 Thessalonians 5

Let the Holy Spirit have a free reign in your life.
Hold on to what is good. Avoid every form of evil

May the God of peace make you holy.
May you be kept safe in spirit, soul and body,
for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ

God has called you. He will not fail you.
Pray for us. Greet all the believers with the holy kiss.
Read this letter to all the believers

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you

Reflection:
For many Christians the Holy Spirit is like a program downloaded from Heaven at Baptism and Confirmation, but not yet installed

Prayer: Holy Spirit of Jesus, Holy Spirit of the Father,
I open my life to you.  My heart is yours. Please install your love in my life

 

Reading:  Luke 14

At the leader's house, Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor

He said to them "When someone invites you to a meal, do not choose a seat of honor. Rather, when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there. Maybe your host will ask you to move to a seat of honor

Everyone who exalts himself, will be humbled. Whoever humbles himself, will be exalted"

Reflection: 
Even today there are some religious houses where the "Superior" has a special place of honour (e.g. at the head of a rectangle table). Many leaders have abolished such a practice and just sit on one side of the table like anyone else.
Notice how Pope Francis shuns "seats of honour" ...no more throne, just a simple chair ....and at a meeting, just the same sort of seat as everyone else - as in this photo

Prayer:
Jesus, please help me  choose the lowest place ... and avoid a "seat of honour" mentality