May 24, 2012
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
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: Sts. Donatian and Rogatian
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+ First Reading: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
22:30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"
7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let's not fight against God!"
10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome."
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+ Psalm: Psalms 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11
1 Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge.
2a My soul, you have said to Yahweh, "You are my Lord."
5 Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup.
You made my lot secure.
7 I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.
Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set Yahweh always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.
My body shall also dwell in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol*,
neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life.
In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
*16:10: Sheol is the place of the dead.
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+ Gospel: John 17:20-26
20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one;
23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 Righteous Father, the world hasn't known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.
26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them."
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+ Today's Reading: Acts 27:21-44
21 When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
22 Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,
24 saying, 'Don't be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'
25 Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.
26 But we must run aground on a certain island."
27 But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.
28 They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms.† After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.‡
29 Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.
30 As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you can't be saved."
32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.
33 While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.
34 Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads."
35 When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.
36 Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.
37 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.
38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39 When it was day, they didn't recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.
40 Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.
41 But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.
42 The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.
43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;
44 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.
†27:28: 20 fathoms = 120 feet = 36.6 meters
‡27:28: 15 fathoms = 90 feet = 27.4 meters
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