Vatican 2 calls on all Christians to read the Bible,   'to have a burning love'   for the Word of God

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

O Holy Spirit, please guide me as I read these passages for today. 
May these passages give me hope, strength, courage and peace for my daily life 

January 2, 2012     

Genesis     Chapters 1, 2     
God made the world. 
God made  the sun, the moon  and the stars....the whole universe. 
God said "Let there be light" and there was light.

God made the earth with all its plants and trees
and animals and fish and birds.

God made the first people.....the first man and first woman. 
God made them in his own image and said to them
"Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth."

God saw all that he had made, and all of it was good, very good
Dear God, thank you for making such a beautiful world

Psalm 1

Happy the person who avoids evil and evil entertainment.
Happy the person who reads and meditates on God's words.

Such a person is like a tree planted beside a river,
getting plenty of nourishment, bearing plenty of fruit.

Such a person is on the Way of Life.
People who do evil are on the Way of Death.

Dear Lord, please help me do good and avoid evil
Acts of the Apostles  Chapter 1 (1 - 5)

Dear Friend of God, in my first book I wrote about everything Jesus did until the day he was taken up to heaven

For 40 days after his death, he appeared to his apostles many times, and taught them about the kingdom of God

He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for what the Father had promised: "You will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit"

Jesus, please baptize me with the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit,  increase your influence in my life

Matthew    Chapter 1 (18 - 25)   
This is how Jesus came to be born.
His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph

But before they lived together,
Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit

An angel  appeared to Joseph  in a dream and said

"Joseph, descendant of David,
do not be afraid to live with Mary as your wife

Her baby has been conceived by the  power of the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son

You must name him 'Jesus' ('God saves')
because he will save his people from their sins"

Joseph  took Mary to his home as his wife.
She gave birth to a son, Jesus

Dear Jesus, Son of God, son of Mary, step-son of Joseph,
please help me understand how you are the Savior of the world