Psalm
23, verse 4:
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your
staff comfort me.
Saint Pope John Paul II was an example of someone who walked
through the valley of the shadow of death and feared no evil. The Lord’s rod
and staff sustained him through the nightmare of the Nazis and the Communists.
Both were evil empires devoted to the destruction of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness for all except for the few selected elite. These empires systematically replaced God
with the rule of the chosen ones of the State. People from both the Fatherland
and the Motherland sat by and watched the evil grow without taking decisive
action, making the adage ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that
good men (or women) do nothing.’Remember to measure our nation and our politics
with Gods Rod (Rods were often used
in ancient times to measure) and not the political States or the media nor the
opinion of the rich and the powerful. Let us be ever ready to speak up for what
is righteous using Gods rod, which are His laws of justice and mercy, working
tirelessly and remember Saint Pope John Paul II words of encouragement, “I
plead with you – never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and
never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
Let us
also carry with us for the journey the Staff of God which is truth, not worldly
truth but Gods truth. “The word of truth, publicly, indeed almost liturgically,
proclaimed was the antidote the Rhapsodic Theater sought to apply to the
violent lies of the Occupation. The tools for fighting evil included speaking
truth to power.” [1]
Be
unafraid, confident in God, and focus on receiving these promises for a month
and see what happens!
1.
“Call on me in the day of trouble; I
will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
-Ps 50:15
-Ps 50:15
2.
“Trust in the Lord with all your
heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6
-Proverbs 3:5-6
3.
“For surely I know the plans I have
for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a
future with hope.”
-Jer 29:11
-Jer 29:11
4.
“Come to me, all you that are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls.”
-Matt 11:28-29
-Matt 11:28-29
5.
“He gives power to the faint, and
strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young
will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their
strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
-Is 40:29-31
-Is 40:29-31
6.
“God will fully satisfy every need
of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
-Phil 4:19
-Phil 4:19
7.
“Therefore do not worry, saying,
‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is
the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
-Matt 6:31-33
-Matt 6:31-33
8.
“Those who listen to me will be
secure and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”
-Proverbs 1:33
-Proverbs 1:33
9.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
-John 14:27
-John 14:27
10.
“If you confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.”
-Rom 10:9
-Rom 10:9
11.
“So if the Son makes you free, you
will be free indeed.”
-John 8:36
-John 8:36
12.
“No testing has overtaken you that
is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested
beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so
that you may be able to endure it.”
-1 Cor 10:13
-1 Cor 10:13
13.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
-James 4:7
-James 4:7
14.
“When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.”
-Ps 34:17
-Ps 34:17
15.
“Do not fear, for I am with you, do
not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I
will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
-Is 41:10
-Is 41:10
16.
“Honor your father and your mother,
so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving
you.”
-Ex 20:12
-Ex 20:12
17.
“The Lord will fight for you, and
you have only to keep still.”
-Ex 14:14
-Ex 14:14
18.
“Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.”
-Proverbs 22:6
-Proverbs 22:6
19.
“Even though I walk through the
darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff
comfort me.”
-Ps 23:4
-Ps 23:4
20.
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will
be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for
you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for
everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if
your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the
child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
-Luke 11:9-13
-Luke 11:9-13
21.
“For the mountains may depart and
the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my
covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on
you.”
-Is 54:10
-Is 54:10
22.
“I hereby command you: Be strong and
courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.”
-Josh 1:9
-Josh 1:9
23.
“I will do whatever you ask in my
name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me
for anything, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you
forever.”
-John 14:13-16
-John 14:13-16
24.
“But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
-Acts 1:8
-Acts 1:8
25.
“I will instruct you and teach you
the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
-Ps 32:8
-Ps 32:8
26.
“If any of you is lacking in wisdom,
ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given
you.”
-James 1:5
-James 1:5
27.
“And this is the boldness we have in
him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
-1 John 5:14
-1 John 5:14
28.
“Are any among you sick? They should
call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them
with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and
the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be
forgiven.”
-James 5:14-15
-James 5:14-15
29.
“For God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may
have eternal life.”
-John 3:16
-John 3:16
30.
“For I am convinced that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Romans 8:38-39
-Romans 8:38-39
31.
“Be strong and bold; have no fear or
dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not
fail you or forsake you.”
-Deut 31:6
-Deut 31:6
32.
“Everything that the Father gives me
will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away”
-John 6:37
-John 6:37
33.
“I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who
lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
– John 11:25-26
– John 11:25-26
34.
“For the Lord God is a sun and
shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from
those who walk uprightly.”
-Ps 84:11
-Ps 84:11
35.
“Take delight in the Lord, and he
will give you the desires of your heart.”
-Ps 37:4
-Ps 37:4
Hajj[3]
The Hajj starts
today. Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca that is obligatory for all Muslims
who can afford to go. The 3rd chapter of the Quran, Surah Ale-Imran
makes Hajj mandatory. During this pilgrimage, Muslims try to get closer
to God. The Hajj is performed in the last month of the Islamic calendar,
Dhul-Hijjah. All Muslims who can afford to go on the Hajj are required to
do so at least once in their life. Muslims believe that the Prophet Abraham
built the Ka'aba with his son Ismael. Kaaba is a sacred cube-shaped shrine at
the centre Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque, in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
Muslims walk around the Ka'bah seven times as part of the Hajj.
Muslims face to pray in the direction of the Ka'bah no matter where they
are in the world. It was the first house built solely for the purpose of
worshipping God. To be completed, the Hajj requires a minimum of five days,
during which pilgrims travel across Arabia to complete various rituals, some of
which are optional, but considered highly beneficial.
Hajj Facts
·
According to Sahih Bukhari (one of the six main
hadith writings of Sunni Islam), the Prophet Muhammad once said that those who
finish the Hajj without committing any obscenity or transgression will have
their sins completely wiped away.
·
It is believed that to teach Muslims to remain
humble and unified, God mandated the Hajj. During it, everyone wears the
same clothes, prays together, and goes around the Ka'bah together.
·
According to the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Hajj
is the largest gathering of human beings on the Earth.
Hajj Events and Things to Do
·
Visit the mountains of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah in
Mecca. Pilgrims walk between two hills, Safa and Marwa, seven times
during the Hajj because they believe that Hagar, the wife of Abraham, did the
same when looking for water for her thirsty baby Ismael. As soon as she
finished her seventh run, the Zamzam well sprung out from under baby Ismael's
foot. To this day, pilgrims on the Hajj drink the Zamzam's water, and
often take it home with them in large canisters.
·
Visit the tower at Jamrat-al-Aqabah (Saudi
Arabia). After sunset on the day of Arafah, as part of the Hajj, pilgrims
throw small pebbles at Jamrat-al-Aqabah. This is the place where it is
believed the Devil stood as he tried to tempt Abraham from carrying out orders
from God. This is act commemorates and symbolizes Abraham's rejecting of
the devil.
Understanding Islam: A Guide[4]
Today we are bombarded
with conflicting versions of Muslims and Islamin the media. This guide is
intended to help all people in the Roman Catholic Church to present Islam accurately
and in ways that preserve and promote “together for the benefit of all mankindsocial
justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom” (Nostra Aetate3). In
spite of the many conflicts and hostilities that have arisen between Muslims and
Christians over the centuries, as Christians we are called to reject violence
and to live in fraternal love with all human beings. This document intends to
identify some of those beliefs and values that Muslims and Christians have in
common, as well as some differences, so as to assist those whom we are teaching
to live harmoniously togetherwith understanding and respect and to work for
peace more effectively.Understanding Islam and Muslims The name Islammeans
“submission” and those who submit to God are Muslims. The terms have the same Arabic
root as the word for peace, Salam. Muslims believe that peace comes through the
submission to the one and only God. Although it is often associated with Muslims
alone, the name of God in Arabic, Allah (al-Lah–“the God”), is the same name
used by Christians and Jews.When saying the name of Allah, Muslims enerally
say: “Subhanahu wa ta’aalaa”, which means “May He be glorified and exalted”. Muslims
and Christians share many common beliefs in their worship of a single Creator
God who loves creation and who commands that His most cherished creations,
human beings, love Him, one another, and His creation. In some ways, however,
Muslims and Christians have profoundly different beliefs. Muslims do not
believe in the Trinitarian nature of God, nor do they accept that Jesus Christ
is God incarnate. They believe, however, that Jesus is one of the five most
distinguished Prophets of God sent to mankind. Christians, on the other hand, do
not recognize Muhammad as a prophet, and do not accept many aspects of the
message he preached, including dietary restrictions, polygamy, and other
teachings. For Muslims, Muhammad is the recipient of God’s final revelation, the
Qur’an,and the model for all human beings, in much the same way as the Virgin
Mary is for many Christians. But Muhammad’s role as prophet, law giver and
military leader is more similar to that of Moses in the Old Testament. Muhammad
is not worshipped by Muslims –he is recognized by them as the final Prophet, the
Seal of the prophets, sent by God and is the object of great reverence and
devotion.Christians do not accord Muhammad the same status as the biblical
prophets, but may regard him as aprophetic figure on such issues as charity and
the protection of the poor, widows and orphans.
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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