Free Republic

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation Stand Firm Deuteronomy 31:8 “… It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

August 20, 2015   Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 Jgs 11:29-39a The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.He passed through Gilead and Manasseh,and through Mizpah-Gilead as well,and from there he went on to the Ammonites.Jephthah made a vow to the LORD.“If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said,“whoever comes out of the doors of my houseto meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonitesshall belong to the LORD.I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.” Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them,and...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked. 22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent...

August 19, 2015   Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jgs 9:6-15 All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came togetherand proceeded to make Abimelech kingby the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem. When this was reported to him,Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,cried out to them in a loud voice:“Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would...

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His gracious love exists forever. Let those who have been redeemed by the LORD declare it—those whom He redeemed from the power of the enemy. Psalm 107:1-2

Ezekiel 34:26 I will make My People and their Homes Around My Hill a Blessing. And there shall be Showers, Showers of Blessing, For I will not Shut Off the Rains, but Send them in their Seasons.

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha 42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said. 43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some...

August 17, 2015   Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jgs 2:11-19 The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,who led them out of the land of Egypt,they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD. Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel,and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them.He allowed them to fall into the power of their...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha 38 Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 The...

August 16, 2015 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Prv 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house,she has set up her seven columns;she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine,yes, she has spread her table.She has sent out her maidens; she callsfrom the heights out over the city:“Let whoever is simple turn in here;To the one who lacks understanding, she says,Come, eat of my food,and drink of the wine I have mixed!Forsake foolishness that you may live;advance in the way of understanding.” Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.I will...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha 18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. 22 She called her husband and...

August 15, 2015 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass during the Day Reading 1 Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha 8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 11 One day...

August 14, 2015   Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr Reading 1 Jos 24:1-13 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,summoning their elders, their leaders,their judges and their officers.When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah,father of Abraham and Nahor,dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the Riverand led him through the entire land of Canaan.I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.To...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. Psalm 125:3 (NIV) ----

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Character Studies From The Bible Elisha The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our Nation Stand Firm Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.