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November 27, 2016 First Sunday of Advent Reading 1 Is 2:1-5 This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.In days to come,the mountain of the LORD’s houseshall be established as the highest mountainand raised above the hills.All nations shall stream toward it;many peoples shall come and say:“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may instruct us in his ways,and we may walk in his paths.”For from Zion shall go forth instruction,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations,and impose terms on many peoples.They...

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin" (Heb. 11:24-25). The world has little to offer compared to the riches of Christ. For forty years Moses enjoyed the best of everything Egypt had to offer: formidable wealth, culture, education, and prestige (Acts 7:22). Yet he never forgot God's promises toward his own people, Israel. Then, "when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons...

“Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Seize opportunities every day to glorify God. In one of the cities of ancient Greece stood a statue carved by Lysippos, a famous Greek sculptor from the fourth century B.C. The statue had wings on its feet and a great lock of hair on its forehead and was bald on the back of its head. This is how it was described: Who . . . was thy sculptor? Lysippos . . . And who art thou? Occasion [or opportunity], the all-subduer . . . Why hast thou...

November 26, 2016 Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rv 22:1-7 John said:An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of Godand of the Lamb down the middle of the street,On either side of the river grew the tree of lifethat produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.Nothing accursed will be found anymore.The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,and his servants will worship him.They will look upon his face, and his...

Brussels, November 23, Interfax - The European Parliament passed on Wednesday a resolution to combat propaganda hostile to the European Union, which, Brussels thinks, is in particular coming from Russia. As many as 691 MEPs took part in the voting on this advisory resolution. It was passed by 304 votes to 179, with 208 abstentions. The document holds that such propaganda forms part of a 'hybrid war' and seeks "to distort the truth, provoke doubt, divide the EU and its North American partners, paralyze the decision-making process, discredit EU institutions and incite fear and uncertainty among EU citizens." The European...

November 25, 2016 Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rv 20:1-4, 11—21:2 I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven,holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain.He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent,which is the Devil or Satan,and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss,which he locked over it and sealed,so that it could no longer lead the nations astrayuntil the thousand years are completed.After this, it is to be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones; those who sat on...

"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones" (Heb. 11:22). God uses your present circumstances to accomplish His future purposes. Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Joseph was an heir to the covenant promises of God. His hope was firmly fixed on God, and he knew that some day his people would be at home in the Promised Land. Although he spent all his adult life in Egypt, never seeing the Promised Land for himself, Joseph's faith never wavered. At the end of his life, he...

“Bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Godliness should be the believer’s priority in life. I’m amazed at how devoted people can be to what they believe is important. There are many people outside Christianity who live in rigid conformity to a lot of meaningless rules. People in totalitarian countries, for example, live in rigid conformity to rules predicated on a denial of biblical truth. They walk circumspectly and toe the mark. Some cultists are...

November 24, 2016 Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs Reading 1 Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven,having great authority,and the earth became illumined by his splendor.He cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.She has become a haunt for demons.She is a cage for every unclean spirit,a cage for every unclean bird,a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.” A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstoneand threw it into the sea and said: “With such force will Babylon the great...

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our beloved Kim has died and passed into Glory, and is now in the presence of his Lord, his best friend, Jesus. Kim was recently hospitalized with pneumonia and complications due to his diseased lungs, and his body was just too weak to combat the illness. The support and love that you have shown to Jane and the family throughout this 16-month journey has been crucial to them having the strength to withstand the fight. We are so very grateful, and we appreciate your continued prayers for the family...

November 23, 2016 Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Rv 15:1-4 I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring:seven angels with the seven last plagues,for through them God’s fury is accomplished. Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.On the sea of glass were standing thosewho had won the victory over the beastand its image and the number that signified its name.They were holding God’s harps,and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,and the song of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are your works,Lord God almighty.Just...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An atheist's request for a personalized license plate saying "IM GOD" was denied by the state of Kentucky, which said it might distract other drivers, and would be in bad taste. Bennie Hart says that by announcing "IM GOD" on his license plate, he simply wants to show the impossibility of disproving anyone's claim to being "God." Besides, Hart says, he had the same plate for a dozen years when he lived in Ohio, without causing any problems.

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come" (Heb. 11:20). When you disobey God, you forfeit joy and blessing. Isaac is a fascinating Old Testament character. He was Abraham's long-awaited son, the covenant child, the child of promise. Yet aside from that, he was rather ordinary, passive, and quiet. Just over two chapters of Genesis center on him, whereas the other patriarchs (Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph) command about twelve chapters each. In the final analysis, Isaac believed God and submitted to His will. But overall, his spiritual character seems more reluctant than resolute. After a famine...

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15). Walking wisely is a step in the right direction. Sometimes a soldier has the thankless task of clearing mine fields from enemy territory. If you’re aware of the procedure, you know the work is both dangerous and tedious. To proceed in an orderly fashion, a soldier marks areas that are considered dangerous and areas that have been cleared. Above all, he makes sure he is careful where he’s walking! In the spiritual realm, Paul is telling believers in Ephesians 5:15 to walk carefully. The Greek...

November 22, 2016 Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Reading 1 Rv 14:14-19 I, John, looked and there was a white cloud,and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man,with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.Another angel came out of the temple,crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud,“Use your sickle and reap the harvest,for the time to reap has come,because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.”So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,and the...

For the first time, a Satanist group has official permission to meet in a public school at the end of the school day. An After School Satan Club (ASSC) meeting was held at Sacramento Elementary School in Portland, Oregon on November 16th, 2016. The previous day, at Parkrose Middle School (also in Portland), the Satanic Temple made a presentation that was supposed to be open to the community and press but was not. The second ASSC is set to meet at Point Defiance Elementary School in Tacoma on Wednesday, December 14th. Approved in September, the ASSC, seeks to provide an...

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones" (Heb. 11:20-22). Faith triumphs over death. Commentator Matthew Henry said, "Though the grace of faith is of universal use throughout the Christian's life, yet it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has its great work to do at the...

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Growing in wisdom means growing in Christlikeness. Perhaps you’re asking, “Shouldn’t believers acquire more wisdom?” Yes, we should. No matter how much of God’s wisdom we have, we should always hunger for more. The Bible tells us that we have all the principles we need to walk in wisdom, and yet there’s much more available to us. We should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and we should be more and more conformed to...

November 21, 2016 Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5 I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,and with him a hundred and forty-four thousandwho had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.I heard a sound from heavenlike the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne,before the four living creatures and the elders.No one could learn this hymn except...

"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead" (Heb. 11:17-19). A willingness to sacrifice something precious to you is proof of genuine faith. John Bunyan had a little blind daughter, for whom he had a special love. When he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, he was deeply concerned about his family, especially that little girl....