“When the
righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their
troubles.”-Ps 34:17
Psalm
52, Verse 8-9
8 The righteous will see and they will fear; but they will laugh at him: 9 “Behold the man! He did not take God as
his refuge, but he trusted in the abundance of his wealth, and grew powerful
through his wickedness.”
This psalm is about the end of the wicked and the peace of the
Godly. This is a short but interesting psalm. Take this verse:
Why do you glory in
what is evil, you who are mighty by the mercy of God? All day long you are
thinking up intrigues; your tongue is like a sharpened razor, you worker of
deceit. You love evil more than good, lying rather than saying what
is right.
Do you think God is talking to
politicians and the fake news hacks that are in power today? Our lord is patient;
remember even the wicked are also his and he loves them. Pray for them and be
at peace. Everything is in good hands-although they do have holes in them.
“Contentment
springs not from an absence of problems but rather from having chosen how to
respond to them.”
The
Paradox of Our Age
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints;
We spend more, but have less;
We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses, but smaller families;
More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgement;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly,
Stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and lie too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space;
It’s time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stock room.
George Carlin, Comedian
Scripture quotes are from the
Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible (a Catholic translation that is not under
copyright so it can be quoted freely.)
How
to be happy: Psalm 1:1-3: "Blessed is the man who hath not walked in
the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the
chair of pestilence: But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he
shall meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near
the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his
leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper."
Trust
in God: Proverbs 3:5-6: "Have confidence in the Lord with all thy
heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence. In all thy ways think on him, and he
will direct thy steps."
Psalm 36:3-7 "Trust in the Lord,
and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.
Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart. Commit
thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it. And he will bring
forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Be subject to
the Lord and pray to him. Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man
who doth unjust things."
How
to have inner peace: Philippians 4:4-13 "Rejoice in the Lord always:
again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest,
whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame,
if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think on these things. The
things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, these
do ye: and the God of peace shall be with you. Now I rejoice in the Lord
exceedingly that now at length your thought for me hath flourished again, as
you did also think; but you were busied. I speak not as it were for want. For I
have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content therewith. I know both
how to be brought low, and I know how to abound (every where and in all things
I am instructed): both to be full and to be hungry: both to abound and to suffer
need. I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me."
Seek
God first and all your needs will be taken care of: Matt: 6:31-34 "Be
not solicitous therefore, saying: What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or
wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek.
For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye
therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall
be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow
will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil
thereof."
On
prayer: Matt 6:5-15 "And when ye pray, you shall not be as the
hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the
streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received
their reward. But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having
shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret, and thy father who seeth in secret
will repay thee. And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For
they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore
like to them for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask
him. Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our supersubstantial bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also
forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.
Amen. For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will
forgive you also your offences. But if you will not forgive men, neither will
your Father forgive you your offences."
Matt 6:21-22 "And Jesus answering,
said to them: Amen, I say to you, if you shall have faith and stagger not, not
only this of the fig tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this
mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done. And all
things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive."
Luke 6:12 "And it came to pass in
those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray: and he passed the whole
night in the prayer of God."
Matt. 26:39 "And going a little
further, he fell upon his face, praying and saying: My Father, if it be
possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as
thou wilt."
James 5:13 "Is any of you sad? Let
him pray: Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing."
Luke 11:1-13 "And it came to pass
that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples
said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he
said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. And
he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at
midnight and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, Because a friend of
mine is come off his journey to me and I have not what to set before him. And
he from within should answer and say: Trouble me not; the door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee. Yet if he shall
continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him because
he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as
many as he needeth. And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and
you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh
receiveth: and he that seeketh findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened: And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone?
Or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg,
will he reach him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the
good Spirit to them that ask him?"
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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