December 12, 2012
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: Our Lady of Guadalupe
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+ First Reading: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
19a God's temple that is in heaven was opened,( and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. )
12:1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.
3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.
6a The woman fled into the wilderness,( where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.)
10ab I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come;
( for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.)
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+ Psalm: Judith 13:18bcde, 19
18bcde (And Ozias said to her,)
Blessed are you, daughter, in the sight of the Most High God, above all the women upon the earth; and blessed is the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth,
(who directed you to the striking of the head of the prince of our enemies.)
19 For your hope shall not depart from the heart of men that remember the strength of God for ever.
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+ Gospel: Luke 1:39-47
39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!"
46 Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord.
47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
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+ Today's Reading: Ruth 1:1-22
1 In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab, and lived there.
3 Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
4 They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
5 Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how Yahweh * had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 May Yahweh grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
10 They said to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people."
11 Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, 'I have hope,' if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons;
13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for Yahweh's hand has gone out against me."
14 They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.
15 She said, "Behold,† your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law."
16 Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God‡ my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, "Is this Naomi?"
20 She said to them, "Don't call me Naomi.§ Call me Mara;** for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
*1:6: "Yahweh" is God's proper Name, sometimes rendered "LORD" (all caps) in other translations.
†1:15: "Behold", from "??????", means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
‡1:16: The Hebrew word rendered "God" is "?????????" (Elohim).
§1:20: "Naomi" means "pleasant".
**1:20: "Mara" means "bitter".
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