November 1, 2012
Solemnity of All Saints.
We hope that today is a good day.
Today's Bible story based on the calendar of the Catholic Church.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/calendar.php
Most of these contents are things of The World English Bible.
http://ebible.org/web/
We hope that everyone in the peace of the Lord.
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+ Saints: All Saints' Day
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+ First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
2 I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,
3 saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"
4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
11 All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God,
12 saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
13 One of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?"
14 I told him, "My lord, you know."
He said to me, "These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.
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+ Psalm: Psalms 24:1-4ab, 5-6
1 The earth is Yahweh's, with its fullness;
the world, and those who dwell therein.
2 For he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the floods.
3 Who may ascend to Yahweh's hill?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4ab He who has clean hands and a pure heart;
who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
5 He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh,
righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek your face—even Jacob.
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+ Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3
1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn't know us, because it didn't know him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
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+ Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.☆
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.☆
5 Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth.*☆
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12a Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
☆5:3: Isaiah 57:15; 66:2
☆5:4: Isaiah 61:2; 66:10,13
*5:5: or, land.
☆5:5: Psalm 37:11
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+ Today's Reading: Revelation 5:1-14
1 I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.
2 I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?"
3 No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look in it.
4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look in it.
5 One of the elders said to me, "Don't weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals."
6 I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
7 Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
8 Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 They sang a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the book,
and to open its seals:
for you were killed,
and bought us for God with your blood,
out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
10 and made us kings and priests to our God,
and we will reign on earth."
11 I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands;
12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"
13 I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!"*
14 The four living creatures said, "Amen!" The † elders fell down and worshiped.‡
*5:13: TR omits "Amen!"
†5:14: TR adds "twenty-four"
‡5:14: TR adds "the one living forever and ever"
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