Reading 1 Heb5:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my Son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
In the days when he was in the Flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Alleluia Heb 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
"Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them,
"Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 2
18.	And the disiples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast?	Et erant discipuli Joannis et pharisæi jejunantes : et veniunt, et dicunt illi : Quare discipuli Joannis et pharisæorum jejunant, tui autem discipuli non jejunant ?	και ησαν οι μαθηται ιωαννου και οι των φαρισαιων νηστευοντες και ερχονται και λεγουσιν αυτω δια τι οι μαθηται ιωαννου και οι των φαρισαιων νηστευουσιν οι δε σοι μαθηται ου νηστευουσιν
19.	And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.	Et ait illis Jesus : Numquid possunt filii nuptiarum, quamdiu sponsus cum illis est, jejunare ? Quanto tempore habent secum sponsum, non possunt jejunare.	και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους μη δυνανται οι υιοι του νυμφωνος εν ω ο νυμφιος μετ αυτων εστιν νηστευειν οσον χρονον μεθ εαυτων εχουσιν τον νυμφιον ου δυνανται νηστευειν
20.	But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days.	Venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus : et tunc jejunabunt in illis diebus.	ελευσονται δε ημεραι οταν απαρθη απ αυτων ο νυμφιος και τοτε νηστευσουσιν εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις
21.	No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent.	Nemo assumentum panni rudis assuit vestimento veteri : alioquin aufert supplementum novum a veteri, et major scissura fit.	και ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιρραπτει επι ιματιω παλαιω ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται
22.	And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles.	Et nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin dirumpet vinum utres, et vinum effundetur, et utres peribunt : sed vinum novum in utres novos mitti debet.	και ουδεις βαλλει οινον νεον εις ασκους παλαιους ει δε μη ρησσει ο οινος ο νεος τους ασκους και ο οινος εκχειται και οι ασκοι απολουνται αλλα οινον νεον εις ασκους καινους βλητεον

18. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not?
19. And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21. No man also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22. And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

GLOSS. As above, the Master was accused to the disciples for keeping company with sinners in their feasts, so now, on the other hand, the disciples are complained of to the Master for their omission of fasts, that so matter for dissension might arise amongst them. Wherefore it is said, And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast.

THEOPHYL. For the disciples of John being in an imperfect state, continued in Jewish customs.

AUG. But it may be thought that he added Pharisees, because they joined with the disciples of John in saying this to the Lord, whilst in Matthew relates that the disciples of John alone said it: but the words which follow rather show that those who said it spoke not of themselves, but of others. For it goes on, And they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples, &c. For these words show, that the guests who were there came to Jesus, and had said this same thing to the disciples, so that in the words which he uses, they came, he speaks not of those same persons, of whom he had said, And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. But as they were fasting, those persons who remembered it, come to him. Matthew then says this, And there came to him the disciples of John, saying, because the Apostles also were there, and all eagerly, as each could, objected these things.

CHRYS. The disciples of John, therefore, and of the Pharisees, being jealous of Christ, ask Him, whether He alone of all men with His disciples could, without abstinence and toil, conquer in the fight of the passions.

BEDE; But John did not drink wine and strong drink, because he who has no power by nature, obtains more merit by abstinence. But why should the Lord, to whom it naturally belonged to forgive sins, shun those whom he could make more pure, than those who fast? But Christ also fasted, lest He should break the precept, He ate with sinners, that you might see His grace, and acknowledge His power. It goes on; And Jesus said to them, Can the children, &c.

AUG. Mark here calls them children of the nuptials, whom Matthew calls children of the bridegroom; for we understand the children of the nuptials to be not only those of the bride-groom, but also of the bride.

PSEUD-CHRYS. He then calls Himself a bridegroom, as if about to be betrothed to the Church. For the betrothal is giving an earnest, namely, that of the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which the world believed.

THEOPHYL. He also calls Himself a bridegroom, not only as betrothing to Himself virgin minds, but because the time of His first coming is not a time of sorrow, nor of sadness to believers, neither does it bring with it toil, but rest. For it is without any works of the law, giving rest by baptism, by which we easily obtain salvation without toil. But the sons of the nuptials or of the Bridegroom are the Apostles; because they, by the grace of God, are made worthy of every heavenly blessing, by the grace of God, and partakers of every joy.

PSEUD-CHRYS. But intercourse with Him, He says, is far removed from all sorrow, when He adds, As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. He is sad, from whom some good is far removed; but be who has it present with him rejoices, and is not sad.

But that He might destroy their elation of heart, and show that He intended not His own disciples to be licentious, He adds, But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken, &c. as if He said, The time will come, when they will show their firmness; for when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, they will fast as longing for His coming, and in order to unite to Him their spirits, cleansed by bodily suffering. He shows also that there is no necessity for His disciples to fast, as having present with them the Bridegroom of human nature, Who every where executes the words of God, and Who gives the seed of life. The sons of the Bridegroom also cannot, because they are infants, be entirely conformed to their Father, the Bridegroom, Who, considering their infancy, deigns to allow them not to fast: but when the Bridegroom is gone, they will fast, through desire of Him; when they have been made perfect, they will be united to the Bridegroom in marriage, and will always feast at the king's banquet.

THEOPHYL. We must also understand, that every man whose works are good is the son of the Bridegroom; he has the Bridegroom with him, even Christ, and fasts not, that is, does no works of repentance, because he does not sin: but when the Bridegroom is taken away by the man's falling into sin, then lie fasts and is penitent, that he may cure his sin.

BEDE; But in a mystical sense, it may thus be expressed; that the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, because every man who boasts of the works of the law without faith, who follows the traditions of men, and receives the preaching of Christ with his bodily ear, and not by the faith of the heart, keeps aloof from spiritual goods, and wastes away with a fasting soul. But he who is incorporated into the members of Christ by a faithful love cannot fast, because he feasts upon His Body and Blood. It goes on, No one sews a piece of rough that is new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that fills it up takes away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

PSEUD-CHRYS. As if He said, because these are preachers of the New Testament, it is not possible that they should serve old laws; but you who follow old customs, fitly observe the fasts of Moses. But for these, who are about to hand down to men new and wonderful observances, it is not necessary to observe the old traditions, but to be virtuous in mind; some time or other however they will observe fasting with other Virtues. But this fasting is different from time fasting of the law, for that was one of restraint, this of goodwill; on account of the fervor of the Spirit, Whom they cannot yet receive, Wherefore it goes on, And no one puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new Wine must be put in new bottles.

BEDE; For He compares His disciples to old bottles, who would burst at spiritual precepts, rather than be held in restraint by them. But they will be new bottles, when after the ascension of the Lord, they are renewed by desiring His consolation, and then new wine will come to the new bottles, that is, the fervor of the Holy Ghost will fill the hearts of spiritual men. A teacher must also take heed not to commit the hidden things of new mysteries to a soul, hardened in old wickedness.

THEOPHYL. Or else the disciples are likened to old garments on account of the infirmity of their minds, on which it was not fitting to impose the heavy command of fasting.

BEDE; Neither was it fitting to sew on a new piece; that is, a portion of doctrine which teaches a general fast from all the joy of temporal delights; for if this be done, the teaching is rent, and agrees not with the old part. But by a new garment is intended good works, which are done externally, and by the new wine, is expressed the fervor of faith, hope, and charity, by which we are reformed in our minds.

Catena Aurea Mark 2

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Berard and Companions

Feast Day: January 16

St. Berard was born at Carbio in Italy and came from a noble family. When he was older he joined the order of Saint Francis of Assisi as a Franciscan Friar. St. Berard later became a priest and was a good preacher who also spoke Arabic.

St. Francis of Assisi asked some of his Franciscan friars, including St. Berard to go to Morocco and preach. They were to announce Christianity to the Muslims. The Friars agreed and Berard, Peter, Adjutus, Accursio and Odo traveled by ship in 1219.

Morocco is in the northwest corner of Africa and the journey was long and dangerous. The group arrived at Seville, Spain. They started preaching immediately, on streets and in public squares.

The people there thought they were crazy and had them arrested. To save themselves from being sent back home, the friars declared they wanted to see the sultan. So the governor of Seville sent them to Morocco.

The sultan welcomed the friars and gave them freedom to preach in the city. But some of the people did not like this and complained to the authorities. The sultan tried to save the friars by sending them to live in Marrakech, on the west coast of Morocco.

A Christian prince and friend of the sultan, Dom Pedro Fernandez, took them into his home. But the friars knew that their mission was to preach the faith and they returned to the city as often as they could.

This angered the people who did not want to hear the friars' message. Their complaints finally angered the sultan so much that one day when he saw the friars preaching, he ordered them to stop or leave the country.

Since they had been sent to fulfill a mission, they refused to do both and were beheaded right then and there. It was January 16, 1220.

Dom Pedro Fernandez went to claim the bodies of the martyrs and later brought their remains to Holy Cross Church in Coimbra, Portugal. The friars' mission to Morocco had been brief and looked like a failure. But the results were surprising.

The story of these heroes fired the first Franciscans with the desire to be missionaries and martyrs too. It was their particular witness that inspired a young man to dedicate his life to God as a Franciscan priest. We know him as St. Anthony of Padua. His feast day is June 13.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: January 16th

Monday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

January 16, 2017 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Sole with Red Wine and Onions

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Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Holy Eucharist)

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Collect Prayer for the Feast of St. Marcellus

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Library (1)

Masses for the Repose of Souls | Fr. William Saunders

Old Calendar: St. Marcellus, pope and martyr; St. Honoratus, archbishop (Hist)

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Marcellus who was elected Pope just at the time when Diocletian had spent somewhat his first violence against the Church. In Rome he reorganized the Catholic hierarchy disrupted by the persecution. Before the reform of the Roman Calendar this was the feast of St. Marcellus, pope and martyr.

Historically today is the feast of St. Honoratus who was born in Gaul (modern France) about 350, and came from a distinguished Roman family. After a pilgrimage to Greece and Rome, he became a hermit on the isle of Lerins, where he was joined by Sts Lupus of Troyes (July 29), Eucherius of Lyons (November 16), and Hilary of Arles (May 5), among others.

St. Marcellus
Diocletian's terrible persecution had taken its toll. It was reported that within a period of thirty days, sixteen thousand Christians were martyred. The Church in Rome was left scattered and disorganized, and the Holy See remained vacant for over two years. It wasn't until the ascension of Emperor Maxentius and his policy of toleration that a pope could be chosen. Marcellus, a Roman priest during the reign of Marcellinus, was elected.

The new pope was confronted with enormous problems. His first challenge was to reorganize the badly shaken Church. He is said to have accomplished this by dividing Rome into twenty-five parishes, each with its own priest. The next task was more challenging. Once again a pope was faced with the problem of what to do with the many brethren who had compromised their faith during the reign of Diocletian. Marcellus upheld the doctrine of required penance before absolution. The apostates keenly desired readmission to communion, but they violently opposed the harshness of the penance demanded by the rigorist, Marcellus. Riots broke out throughout the city, and even bloodshed, to the point that Emperor Maxentius intervened. He believed that the pontiff was the root of the problem, and in the interest of peace, he banished Marcellus; the pope died a short time later. Apart from persecution, this was the first time that the secular government was known to have interfered with the Church. There is some confusion whether his body was brought back to Rome or whether he was allowed to return to the Holy See before his death. There is no doubt, however, that he was buried in the cemetery of Priscilla on the Via Salaria.

Symbols: Pope with a donkey or horse nearby; pope standing in a stable.

St. Honoratus
St. Honoratus was of a consular Roman family settled in Gaul. In his youth he renounced the worship of idols, and gained his elder brother, Venantius, to Christ. Convinced of the hollowness of the things of this world, they wished to renounce it with all its pleasures, but a fond pagan father put continual obstacles in their way. At length, taking with them St. Caprais, a holy hermit, for their director, they sailed from Marseilles to Greece, with the intention to live there unknown in some desert.

Venantius soon died happily at Methone, and Honoratus, being also sick, was obliged to return with his conductor. He first led a hermitical life in the mountains near Frejus. Two small islands lie in the sea near that coast; on the smaller, now known as St. Honoré, our Saint settled, and, being followed by others, he there founded the famous monastery of Lerins, about the year 400. Some of his followers he appointed to live in community; others, who seemed more perfect, in separate cells as anchorets. His rule was chiefly borrowed from that of St. Pachomius.

Nothing can be more amiable than the description St. Hilary has given of the excellent virtues of this company of saints, especially of the charity, concord, humility, compunction, and devotion which reigned among them under the conduct of our holy abbot.

He was, by compulsion, consecrated Archbishop of Arles in 426, and died, exhausted with austerities and apostolical labors, in 429.

Excerpted from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 2:18-22

2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? (Mark 2:19)

Imagine attending a friend’s wedding. Just as the ceremony is about to begin, everyone quiets down and takes their seats. The music starts. The bride is poised to walk down the aisle. But where’s the groom? No one notices that he is sitting with the rest of the congregation. He doesn’t stand out at all.

Like these wedding guests, the Pharisees in today’s Gospel are having a hard time recognizing Jesus. All they see is a zealous rabbi from a small village. So when they ask why his disciples don’t fast, Jesus answers by referring to himself as a “bridegroom” (Mark 2:19). He tells them he is more than just another teacher; he is the Messiah.

Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah most people had expected. He came as a bridegroom, not just a morality teacher. He came as a friend, not a soldier. He came to love his people into new life, not just lead them. He came as a humble, poor rabbi, not a fiery political activist. And so he remained unrecognized.

It wasn’t just these Pharisees either. Throughout his ministry, Jesus’ detractors couldn’t see that his teaching revealed God’s grace and mercy in a new way. They couldn’t see that he had come to lay down his life for his people, as any honorable husband would do for his wife. And they couldn’t see that he had come to teach forgiveness rather than revenge—something that he embodied even as he hung dying on the cross, when he prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

Of course we know that Jesus is the Messiah. But we can still fall into a similar trap. We picture him up in heaven, removed from our circumstances. Or we focus only on his moral teachings and forget about his power to change lives.

But Jesus isn’t removed; he’s close to us all the time. And he isn’t just a teacher; he is almighty God. He stands by our side all day, ready to lift us up with his love. Even when we sin, he is with us, offering his healing and calling us back to himself in love. He truly is our Bridegroom!

“Jesus, reveal yourself to me today! Let me see the hope I have in you.”

Hebrews 5:1-10
Psalm 110:1-4

Regnum Christi

January 16, 2017 – The New Joy of the Bridegroom

16 Jan 2017

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Father Walter Schu, LC

Mark 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

Introductory Prayer: Jesus, what a joy and what a gift to have this time to be alone with you! I want to know you more deeply. I want to hope in you more firmly. I want to love you with greater constancy in my daily life. Only you can give me these gifts. Only you can make me a bold and joyful apostle of your Kingdom.

Petition: Lord, help me to experience the new joy that comes from carrying the cross alongside you.

1. The Joy of the Bridegroom: The Old Testament prophets, especially Hosea and Isaiah, describe the relationship between Israel and Yahweh as a marriage covenant. Israel is the bride, often an unfaithful one, and Yahweh is the bridegroom. When Christ refers to himself as the bridegroom, he is appropriating a title that had been reserved to God alone. Clearly, Jesus is much more than an ordinary rabbi. What experience do we most associate with a bridegroom and the wedding feast? Joy! “Although it is true that the cross is never absent from an authentically Christian life, it is equally true that the God who meets us on that cross is the same God who created the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the mountains, laughter, sunlight, and every earthly delight” (John Bartunek, LC, The Better Part, p. 365). Christ came to bring us joy, a joy that would last into eternity.

2. Should Christians Fast? Christ says that when the bridegroom is taken away, then his disciples will fast. This is his first reference in the Gospel of Mark to his coming passion. Fasting is a way of sharing in Christ’s sufferings. Fasting, sacrifices, and acts of self-denial are also means to detach ourselves from earthly goods in order to cling more firmly to Christ himself. They make us aware of how much we need God. But these ways of sharing Christ’s cross should not make us glum followers. “Some Christians give the impression that following Christ is a somber affair, or that the Christian life consists above all of dour sacrifices and boring obligations. Joyless, dreary, dull. No wonder their friends want to stay as far away from Christianity as possible!… If our friendship with Christ does not fill us with contagious enthusiasm, we’re probably being a half-hearted friend” (John Bartunek, LC, The Better Part, p. 365).

3. “Behold, I Make All Things New”: The movie The Passion of the Christ puts this phrase from Revelation on Christ’s lips when he meets his mother Mary as he carries the cross to Calvary. Christ’s “narrow gate” of the cross leads to a radically new way of life. It brings an abundance of joy, a new vigor, interior peace. The new wine of the life of grace that Christ pours out on his followers must change not only their way of life, but even their internal attitudes and consciousness. As St. Teresa of Avila once put it, “A sad saint is a bad saint.” What obstacles in my life do I need to overcome in order to follow Christ with greater joy and to radiate that joy to others?

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for the new life you came to bring — your own divine life of grace inside me and each of your followers who is faithful to you. Help me to share that joy with others. I long to be a true apostle of your joy.

Resolution: Today I will forget about myself and seek only to help make those around me joyful.

One Bread, One Body

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<< Monday, January 16, 2017 >>

Hebrews 5:1-10
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Psalm 110:1-4

Mark 2:18-22
Similar Reflections

PATCH-WORK

"No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak." —Mark 2:21

Our lives are sometimes pictured as a fabric. This fabric consists of family, marriage, children, friends, work, finances, social life, habits, entertainment, service, etc. When we give our lives to Jesus, He sews into our lives "a patch of unshrunken cloth" (Mk 2:21). As this patch shrinks, it stretches all the other parts of the fabric of our lives. Therefore, we need a new lifestyle in which we are willing to be stretched and transformed. Otherwise, life in Christ will tear us apart (see Mk 2:21).

When we give our lives to Jesus, He will make us fruitful. No matter which vocation we have, we will have many spiritual children. This will radically alter our social life, give us little time to indulge our habits, distract us from our distractions, and stretch our finances. This one patch of life in Christ either tears up our lives or becomes our whole lives.

If we decide to be clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27; Rm 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10), we are then clothed with humility (1 Pt 5:5), power (Lk 24:49), mercy, kindness, meekness, and patience (Col 3:12). Let the patch of Jesus that covers one tear in your life become your entire life.

Prayer: Father, help me change clothes, that is, the very fabric of my life.

Promise: "Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when perfected, He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." —Heb 5:8-9

Praise: Carol thought that giving up her job to stay at home with her children was bad news indeed. Now she rejoices to be able to home-school her children and raise them up in the faith.

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