by Faith Central & Steve Welsh
“‘… the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'”
“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. … He … said ‘… if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. … Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.'”
“Jesus said to His Disciples: ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. …'”
“Peter approached Jesus and asked Him, ‘Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. …'”
“The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. … he said, ‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. … Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall Name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High … of His Kingdom there will be no end.’ … Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the Angel departed from her.”
“‘… he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also … I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'”
“‘… His son said to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.”
But his father ordered his servants,
“Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.” …'”
“‘… There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. … Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ … They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. … The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone … the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.’ …”
From Loretto Abbey in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
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[featured image adapted from image at Creative Commons Wikimedia Commons Pjposullivan,
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loretto_Abbey_chapel_interior,_Toronto.JPG, with additional conditions stated at that link and in the alt-tag here]
“‘There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously …. lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. … When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment …. he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ …”