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5th October >> Mass Readings (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Monday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Faustina Kowalska, Religious.

Monday, Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Galatians 1:6-12

The Good News I preached is not a human message but from Jesus Christ

I am astonished at the promptness with which you have turned away from the one who called you and have decided to follow a different version of the Good News. Not that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one we have already preached to you, whether it be ourselves or an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned. I am only repeating what we told you before: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one you have already heard, he is to be condemned. So now whom am I trying to please – man, or God? Would you say it is men’s approval I am looking for? If I still wanted that, I should not be what I am – a servant of Christ.

The fact is, brothers, and I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 110(111):1-2,7-10

R/ The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.

R/ Alleluia!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

in the meeting of the just and their assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord,

to be pondered by all who love them.

R/ The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.

R/ Alleluia!

His works are justice and truth,

his precepts are all of them sure,

standing firm for ever and ever;

they are made in uprightness and truth.

R/ The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.

R/ Alleluia!

He has sent deliverance to his people

and established his covenant for ever.

Holy his name, to be feared.

His praise shall last for ever!

R/ The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.

R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf. John 6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:

John 13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 10:25-37

The good Samaritan

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

————————————

Saint Faustina Kowalska, Religious

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Monday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Genesis 12:1-4

All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you:

I will curse those who slight you.

All the tribes of the earth

shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 1:1-4,6

His delight is the law of the Lord.

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

Happy indeed is the man

who follows not the counsel of the wicked;

nor lingers in the way of sinners

nor sits in the company of scorners,

but whose delight is the law of the Lord

and who ponders his law day and night.

His delight is the law of the Lord.

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

He is like a tree that is planted

beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season

and whose leaves shall never fade;

and all that he does shall prosper.

His delight is the law of the Lord.

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they like winnowed chaff

shall be driven away by the wind:

for the Lord guards the way of the just

but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

His delight is the law of the Lord.

Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree in the courts of our God.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt5:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt5:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt23:11,12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The greatest among you must be your servant, says the Lord:

the man who humbles himself will be exalted.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn8:31-32

Alleluia, alleluia!

If you make my word your home

you will indeed be my disciples,

and you will learn the truth, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn15:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,

says the Lord;

whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn15:9,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Remain in my love, says the Lord;

whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty.

Alleluia!

EITHER:

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12a

How happy are the poor in spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 5:13-16

Your light must shine in the sight of men

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 7:21-27

The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!

‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-30

You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 13:44-46

He sells everything he owns and buys the field

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 16:24-27

Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 18:1-5

Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 19:3-12

Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’

They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’

The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 19:27-29

They will be repaid a hundred times over and inherit eternal life

Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 22:34-40

The commandments of love

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

The wise and foolish virgins

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 25:14-30

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.

‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”

‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 25:14-23

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 25:31-46

I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

OR:

Gospel

Matthew 25:31-40

I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

OR:

Gospel

Mark 3:31-35

Who are my mother and my brothers? Those that do the will of God

The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

OR:

Gospel

Mark 9:34-37

Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

The disciples had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So Jesus sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

OR:

Gospel

Mark 10:13-16

It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs

People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

OR:

Gospel

Mark 10:17-30

Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him. ‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’

OR:

Gospel

Mark 10:17-27

Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

OR:

Gospel

Luke 6:27-38

Love your enemies

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

OR:

Gospel

Luke 9:57-62

'I will follow you wherever you go'

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

OR:

Gospel

Luke 10:38-42

Martha works; Mary listens

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

OR:

Gospel

Luke 12:32-34

It has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

OR:

Gospel

Luke 12:35-40

You too must stand ready

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

OR:

Gospel

Luke 14:25-33

Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

OR:

Gospel

John 15:1-8

I am the vine, you are the branches

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty;

for cut off from me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.

If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.’

OR:

Gospel

John 15:9-17

You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,

so I have loved you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments

you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

I have told you this

so that my own joy may be in you

and your joy be complete.

This is my commandment:

love one another, as I have loved you.

A man can have no greater love

than to lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends,

if you do what I command you.

I shall not call you servants any more,

because a servant does not know

his master’s business;

I call you friends,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

You did not choose me:

no, I chose you;

and I commissioned you

to go out and to bear fruit,

fruit that will last;

and then the Father will give you

anything you ask him in my name.

What I command you

is to love one another.’

OR:

Gospel

John 17:20-26

Father, may they be completely one

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,

I pray not only for these,

but for those also

who through their words will believe in me.

May they all be one.

Father, may they be one in us,

as you are in me and I am in you,

so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

I have given them the glory you gave to me,

that they may be one as we are one.

With me in them and you in me,

may they be so completely one

that the world will realise that it was you who sent me

and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.

Father, I want those you have given me

to be with me where I am,

so that they may always see the glory you have given me

because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Father, Righteous One,

the world has not known you,

but I have known you,

and these have known that you have sent me.

I have made your name known to them

and will continue to make it known,

so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,

and so that I may be in them.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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fromtheburn-withlove · 5 years

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Prompt #22: Undoing

(Art source)

"Ms. Galva, your breakfast?”

“Set it on the end table.”

A new pair of heels clipped past in tight stride, the same soft fawn as the legs shooting tall and lean above them, and stop as the woman they belonged to set the silver tray down with a perfectly poached egg trembling atop a singular piece of toast, and a dainty crystalline bowl of jewel-colored, glistening fruits. It’s exactly what she ordered.

"I wanted white toast," she plaints at her quiet assistant in monotone without so much as glancing at the plate.

Ysolde was undoubtedly one of her most valuable prizes, and yet a distinct dissatisfaction, a highly particular and unmatched goal dangled dangerously overhead in spite of her acquisition. The interview had proven only to be the genesis of intrigue; a tight skirt shifting under the recrossing of thick legs prompted her jaws to salivate like a hungry wolf gone moons without a proper cut of meat, and yet when she leaned in with the old 'smudge of lipstick' trick, Ysolde didn't hesitate to slap her hand away sharply and smile straight into her potential employer's face while she procured a handkerchief and fixed the non-existent mistake herself. The nerve. She was hired on the spot.

"You asked for whole grain, actually," the girl corrects in perfect matter-of-fact that elicits an immediate arch of an eyebrow. "I have a note right here. You wanted seeded bread first, but I informed you that it wasn't available today, as I already stopped by the kitchen after waking and looked at their selection. You told me, and I quote, 'That's fine, it's only my expectations being unmet. If it were the simple request of anyone truly important, I might dare to leverage a complaint. However, in this instance, I think we can all afford to disappoint me starting with a slice of simple bread.' To which I replied—"

"Enough."

"Ah, no. What I said was, 'the whole grain looks hearty, I think it would be a fine second choice,'" the prim servant continues on, as calm as you please, "To which you responded, 'It will have to do'. End quote."

Anne turned her pointed chin just far enough to meet her palm, her elbow planted into the arm of the leather chair as she gazed over the attending retainer. She searched, as often was the habit, for any hair out of place to remark on, some cheap shot that would provide a moment’s leverage, but could find no fault in the woman's kept uniform. She was a vision in crisp emerald linen, perhaps had the sorcery of Dalmasca in her bloodline somewhere that rimmed hazel eyes in a lush forest of jet lashes, crowned full lips with a dainty cupid's bow. She wore stockings with seams so straight you could notch a ruler by their immaculate make, positively impossible attention to detail. Her posture was exacting; upright with pride, but accessorized by a patient expression that listened with wheels always turning and turning. Perhaps that was the worst part.

"You must think you're terribly clever, don’t you?"

"Ma'am...?"

"Do you take down everything I say in that little notepad of yours? Do you record my conversations? I bet someone would be willing to pay."

"That I could write so quickly and with such accuracy," Ysolde responded without a hint of irony or so much as a flinch. Earnestness was her anchor.

Before she could catch her cool slipping between her fingers, she rose sharply and rounded on the woman with the taste of blood on her tongue. Her stalking approach halted swiftly by the stark realization quite literally standing before her; she didn't tower over her as she had so many other hapless girls she'd sent through the gauntlet. Who let that slip? Her cool gaze met her employer's with only an ilm to spare between them, unflinching in its attention. Annelise's burgundy snarl peeled back with disgust that was indistinguishable from lust. What would it take to upend this young woman's unshakeable poise and throw her to the ground like fine porcelain? It had been weeks without the satisfaction of witnessing the facade develop even the slightest, hairline fracture. Was this some kind of test? Was this someone's idea of a joke? She longed to feel the crunch beneath her feet, to twist and grind the shards into glittering dust. She needed to see Ysolde's distant affections fixed on her and her alone, to thrust her manicured hands into her chest and burrow her polished talons into muscle and gristle and tear and tear and tear—

"...Ma'am?"

The single word plinked into her daydream like a pebble hitting a brittle pane of glass, the final little force enough to shatter it all. The passage of time seized, and by the time it unlocked its hold, her hand snapped out not to crush the beating behind her ribs, but to take her by the throat.

#ffxivwrite2019 #katarina #writing #ff14 #ffxiv #rp #roleplay #mateus #crystal rp #annelise #ysolde u in danger girl

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megsblackfirewrites · 6 years

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The Devout and The Heretic: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The walls of the House of God were shaking with the power of their voices. The hymns had never been sung so powerfully or so full of devotion, of that Jack was certain. His wife’s beautiful voice quivered in the air beside his, harmonizing perfectly as they led the hymn. It wasn’t even intentional; everyone simply knew that Jack and Blaire Morrison were the ones that led the rest of them in song.

The final note hung in the air before the congregation sat down as one. Jack’s heart never felt lighter than after he had finished singing. His big chest rose and fell as he held his wife’s hand in his lap, smiling up at the Father as he took his regular place at the stand.

“Ah, there is nothing more beautiful than a congregation singing in perfect harmony,” Father Matthew sighed happily. “Well done. Now, as is our tradition, I would like to turn the floor over to you, my lambs, and inform everyone of the wonderful moments in your life this week.”

“We’re expecting our third child,” a woman said as she got to her feet. “I’m four months along and the baby is healthy. The doctors expect that I will have the same complications-free pregnancy as the other two.”

The congregation cheered as the woman sat down. Another man rose to his feet and smiled.

“My construction business has gotten its first out of town contract and I expect to bring a good amount of income back to our wonderful city,” he said.

Everyone cheered as the man sat down. Jack lifted Blaire’s hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before he got to his feet.

“The mother cat I have been looking after has had her litter and I woke up this morning to find her placing the last of her three kittens on my face,” he said.

Everyone laughed as he sat back down. Jack’s happiness always came from the animals he cared for; he was devoted to his wife and his job, but they did not cause the same elation that caring for a shy cat or a skinny dog brought him.

The sharing continued for another ten minutes before the Father took over. “To hear such good news warms the depths of my soul,” he said. “God shines his love heavily upon us. I will close out today’s congregation with a reading from Genesis.”

Jack tuned out the Father as he looked at the cross above his head. He knew his elation would leave as soon as he was given his weekly charity assignment. It wasn’t that he didn’t love giving back to the community, it was just that he felt it was less charity if it was not given freely from the heart without prompting. This just felt like they were being forced to give back because it was expected of them rather than because they wanted to.

The congregation rose to their feet and Jack followed, filing up to the front to speak with the Father. He was handed his folded up slip of paper and the Father rested his hand on Jack’s head, calling for God to look favourably on his devout son. Jack thanked him before stepping to the side to wait for Blaire.

“I’m working the soup kitchen again,” Blaire huffed as they made their way to the car. “That’s the third time this month.”

“They need a lot of hands there,” Jack smiled at her. “More than half of the papers are for the soup kitchen.”

“And what is your assignment?” she asked.

Jack unfolded the paper and slipped into the car. “Tourist Information Bureau,” he said. “Interesting.”

That wasn’t one he even knew was an option. The Tourist center was outside of their little community, closer to the edge of the city where the drifters came and went. It was much less devout there and he had heard rumors that devil worship was widely accepted. He tried not to shudder at the thought. How could anyone worship such a vile, corrupting individual that wanted nothing more than to control the souls of humans to fight God’s divine right to rule?

“Ugh,” Blaire wrinkled her nose as they left the church parking lot. “I’ll send you with holy water so you can douse anyone that wears the badge of a heretic.”

“Blaire,” he laughed. “Our goal is to help those that have strayed down the wrong path, not chastise them. That is for God to decide their fate.”

“Well, I hope they all burn in Hell; I don’t want to share heaven with them,” she shuddered.

“Blaire,” he scolded. “My darling that is not the way.”

“No,” she agreed sullenly. “But it would be nice not have to share Paradise with them.”

Jack hummed softly in agreement. He didn’t like the idea of those that did not earn a place in Paradise walking through those eternal fields of splendor. It was almost a slap to the face for a devout like him. He worked hard to earn his place and someone that did not care was allowed into the Heavens? No, it wasn’t fair.

He pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. The birds were singing in the tree and he smiled as he headed into the backyard. He pushed the door to the rabbit hutch open and smiled as Hana-bunny came hurrying over. The others hopped along behind her, their floppy ears dragging through the hay as they came to investigate.

“Hello, my babies,” he cooed as he started filling water and food dishes. “Come and eat. Did you have a good morning? Daddy did.”

Hana-bunny followed him around the hutch as he tidied up and spread new straw for his five little darlings. Zarya decided that the aglet on his shoes were better than her bunny pellets and he had to shoo her away before she made herself sick. Lucio stood up on his hind legs, sniffing at Jack’s pants before he bounced off excitedly. Mei flopped over happily beside Zarya, her little pink nose twitching as Zarya turned to groom her best friend’s face. Only Satya seemed interested in the food, turning her head to watch him as she munched the pellet.

“Everyone happy?” Jack asked as he checked the litter and cleaned it out. “If it’s nice after lunch, I’ll let you run around the backyard, okay?”

He knew his bunnies couldn’t understand him, but the excited hop that Hana-bunny gave made him smile. He left the hutch and locked the door tightly behind him. He went to the other shed and let the goats out, smiling as Junkrat immediately bounced off, not minding his two new legs at all. He was taking to the prosthetics better than he could have hoped and he was beyond happy to see the kid running around the backyard. Roadhog followed at a much slower pace, little black ears swivelling as Junkrat raced around.

“Well, good to see you’re in a good mood,” Jack teased.

Junkrat immediately hurried over and headbutted Jack’s knee gently, his little sandy brown tail wagging. Jack knelt down to scratch the kid’s ears, smiling as Junkrat bleated happily. He heard the backdoor to the house open and Soldier came trotting over, immediately trying to herd Roadhog away from the vegetable patch. Junkrat bleated his displeasure as the old white German Shepherd tried to get him away from Jack. Jack chuckled at their antics before he got to his feet.

“Keep them out of trouble, Soldier,” he said.

Soldier cocked his head to the side before going to move Roadhog away from the garden again. Jack headed inside to get changed into a much looser set of clothing than his Sunday clothes. Blaire was already making lunch, bustling around the kitchen and humming happily. He smiled at the sight as he came downstairs.

“And how’s the most beautiful woman in Hope’s Rest?” he teased as he walked over to kiss her.

“I’m doing fine, my equally beautiful husband,” she said as she turned to kiss him in return. “You going to call the tourist stand?”

“After lunch,” he said. “I want to enjoy my time with my wife. God has graced me with her presence and I intend to make my love known.”

Blaire laughed at him as she set their sandwiches out on the table. “Oh, you charmer,” she teased. “Get eating, Jack, before the bacon gets cold.”

Jack smiled as he started eating his sandwich, but he didn’t miss Blaire’s smile fade as she watched him. His stomach sank; what had he done to earn that face? Was she really that annoyed that Mondatta had brought her kittens to him? Or was it that he went out to tend the rabbits before going to get changed? His babies needed to be taken care of before he ate. It would be unthinkable of him to do otherwise.

They ate in silence and when Jack had polished off his plate, he got up to call the tourist station. After briefly explaining that he was with the Church Of Dawn’s Saints, the lady on the other end of the line let out a relieved laugh.

“Oh, good. Could you come down here right now? We’re swamped,” she said.

“Oh, right; there’s that festival down at the waterfront this week,” Jack said. “I’ll be there shortly, ma’am.”

“Thank you; what is it you boys like to say? Saints bless your kind heart?” she laughed.

“Something like that,” he laughed.

He said his goodbyes before returning to the kitchen. He kissed Blaire’s cheek before he went to get his jacket. He flipped the collar up as Blaire walked over, a large frown on her face.

“You’re heading out?” she asked.

“They need help right now on account of the festival,” he replied. “I’ll be back later. Love you.”

He gave her one more kiss before he headed out to the car. The drive over to the tourist information building was uneventful; there wasn’t even a crazy driver on the road to honk at. Jack appreciated it as he parked and headed for the front of the building. He really did not enjoy getting angry at others; it was such a waste of his energy.

“Jack!” Hana shouted as she came running over. “Yes! The cool teacher to help alleviate our boredom!”

Jack chuckled as he gave his favourite student a hug. “I highly doubt that, Hana,” he said. “I’m here to volunteer.”

“I know that,” she rolled her eyes. “That church of yours is actually good for something other than throwing nasty looks at everyone not in that cult.”

“It’s not a cult,” Jack sighed as he shooed her along ahead of him. “It’s just a different Protestant religion. We have our purpose in the world and we do what we can with it.”

Hana rolled her eyes as he signed the volunteer check-in book and took his place behind the counter. He had a few minutes to breathe and reassure Hana that no, there wasn’t homework due tomorrow in his class, before people started swarming the information center. He did his best to be as helpful as he could, handing out pamphlets to people and pointing them in the right directions for particular landmarks around the city.

He’d barely been there an hour before someone walked in that made Hana’s jaw drop open. Jack finished helping a nice elderly couple that were hoping to do some bird-watching at the national park a few miles out of town and turned to see what the gawking was over. His jaw almost fell open in shock to at the sight of the biker shaking his hair out. Jack momentarily appreciated that the man’s leather jacket wasn’t covered in spikes, before he noticed that the man had both ears pierced with a giant chunk of black rock sitting in the lobe, a bar through his eyebrow, a lip ring, his nails painted black, and his long hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.

“Is there a problem, sir?” Jack called as he waved the man forward.

The man’s grin would have made any teenage girl’s heart melt. Jack could only label the man as “trouble” with all the tooth the man was showing. The man removed his sunglasses and fit them onto the collar of his shirt. Crow’s feet crinkled at the corners of the man’s eyes, pegging him as far older than his powerful body would claim. The warm, brown pools drew Jack in before he was ready to resist, making him drown in their depths as butterflies decided that his stomach was the best place to start flying around.

“Well, that depends, cutie,” the man said in a voice that was both confident and soft; again, teenage girls would be falling at his feet by now. “You got a name?”

Jack let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sir, that is not what I meant,” he said. “Do you often walk into establishments with the express purpose of annoying the staff and wasting their time?”

“Ow,” the man pressed his hand against his chest. Big hands and rather calloused by the looks of it. Man did a lot of physical work; interesting. “Now you’ve cut me real deep, sir. I was just asking for the name of the man that was helping me.”

“Jack,” Jack sighed. “Now, how can I be of service?”

“Heard there was a dragon boat festival in town,” the man said. “Thought I’d check it out.”

“That particular event isn’t until Tuesday,” Jack said as he handed the man a pamphlet. “But it is a sight to behold. Most of the boats are manned by international competitors.”

“Nice,” the man said as he looked the pamphlet over. “Uh, what’s going on tomorrow?”

“Well, the morning would be sailing lessons,” Jack said, “and then there’s supposed to be a beer garden in the evening after a large barbeque to kick the week long celebrations off. It is always a treat.”

“What would you suggest?” the man asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I’m particular for the history walks and tours,” Jack smiled. “But that’s a personal bias since I’m a history teacher. Most visitors rave about the amusement park set up on the south end of the pier, but it’s geared towards a much younger age group so I wouldn’t recommend it for a man your age.”

“My age?” the man grinned.

“Early forties,” Jack shrugged. “Don’t think you’d get a thrill out of the teacups. You’d probably get stuck in them; I would.”

The man pursed his lips before dropping himself forward onto the countertop and propping his chin in his palm. “You didn’t answer me; what would you suggest?”

Jack looked at the man for a moment before he snorted. “There’s a custom cars and motorcycle show on Wednesday. Lot of mechanics love it.”

“You going?” the man grinned.

“No,” Jack replied.

“So you wouldn’t recommend it,” the man chuckled. “I really want to know what you would go for. I think I’d enjoy it more if you were into it.”

“I don’t see how,” Jack frowned at the man. “We do not move in the same spheres.”

“You sure?” the man grinned.

Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Unless you intend to tell me that you attend church dutifully on Sunday, complete mandatory weekly volunteer hours, and keep a hutch full of rabbits, yes, I’m certain,” he said.

The man stared at him. “You have rabbits?” he whispered.

“They’re adorable,” Hana cackled as she handed a pamphlet off to a young woman that was almost drooling on herself at the sight of the man in front of Jack. “Satya’s still really shy, but Hana-bunny loves everyone.”

The man let out a long sigh before he looked at Jack. “Don’t suppose I could pay to see those bunnies?” he asked. “I love animals.”

“He’s free on Tuesdays!” Hana grinned. “No history classes at summer school.”

Jack gave her a cold look before he let out a long sigh. “I do not require to be paid, but if you want to bring some rabbit food, I would appreciate it,” he said.

“So, Tuesday,” the man mused. “Say, around noon?”

“Very well,” Jack sighed and gave the man his address. “Please don’t wear anything that dangles; the goats like to nibble.”

The man’s mouth opened in shock. “You have goats?!”

“Two,” Jack replied, trying not to grin. “Like I said, no dangling pieces on your clothing unless they’re secure. I do not need my kid eating something dangerous to his health.”

“It’s a date,” the man grinned as he pulled his sunglasses off of his shirt. “Name’s Gabriel, by the way. But you can call me ‘Gabe’.”

“Very well, Gabriel,” Jack shook his head. “See you Tuesday.”

Gabriel winked at him before he put his sunglasses on and left the building. Hana playfully waved her hand at her face and let out a long sigh. Yup, Gabriel was definitely a teenage girl magnet. Jack opted to ignore Hana’s attempts to tease him and returned to his job. He still had a few hours left to work before the building closed up for the day.

#reaper76 #modern AU with supernatural elements

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allyinthekeyofx · 7 years

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Genesis - 19 & 20

#genesis #my fic

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dancingina-minor · 7 years

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Tagged by no one but I’m bored and avoiding sleep because I’m an adult who makes great life choices. I found this prompt via @crookedxhill .

Rules: answer and tag ten people you want to know about.

Name: Sasha

Nickname: Sashii, Sausage

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Height: 5'7"

Orientation: Aromantic pansexual

Ethnicity: Hispanic. I’m white af tho

Favourite Fruit: Mango

Favourite Season: Autumn, closely followed by winter

Favourite Book: I don’t think I have one? I used to read a lot more back in high school than I do now (sadly, I don’t have a lot of reading time these days). I haven’t found The Book yet.

Favourite flower: I honestly don’t know enough about flowers to have a favorite. I do like black and red (I know, cliché) roses, tiger lilies, and violets, of the ones I do know.

Favourite Scent: Lavender, vanilla, pine, sandalwood, the smell of freshly baked foods like brownies. I also really like new book smell.

Favourite Animal: Pigs, foxes, dogs, bats

Coffee, Tea or Hot Cocoa? Cocoa and tea. I hate coffee.

Average Hours of Sleep: On week days, about 6 hours because I don’t know how to go to bed early enough for how early I wake up for work. On weekends I recuperate by sleeping 8-9 hours.

Cats or Dogs? I’m a bit more of a dog person, but I adore cats as well.

Favourite Fictional Character: Wooo, there are so many! Right now I am head-over-heels in love/obsessed with Yuri Katsuki from Yuri!!! On ICE and I really can’t stop adoring him. Some other faves include: Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Scar from the Lion King, Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter, Hotaru Tomoe/Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon, Wednesday and Morticia Addams from the Addams Family, Lisbeth Salander from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gaz from Invader Zim, L from Death Note, Mikasa; Armin; and Levi from Attack on Titan, Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road. Probably more but I can’t think of any at the moment.

Dream Trip: Japan is pretty high on my list of dream destinations. I’d also love to go to New Zealand, Dubai, England, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and basically a bunch of other places I don’t feel like listing. I definitely want to go back to Germany for a longer period because I fell in love with it instantly.

When was your blog created? December 2011.

Number of followers: 653.

What Do You Post About? Lots of memes, movies, fashion, art, music, makeup, meta, feminism, anime, goth shit

Do You Get Asks On A Regular Basis? Nope. Strangely enough, I used to get a fair bit of asks back when I first started and only had about 30 followers. I used to get a lot of interaction from the Gorillaz fandom way back when. Now I just shout to the void.

Aesthetic: Glam Goth Geek Chic

Favourite Band/Artist: I have a lot and can only think of a few off the top of my head. New Order, Depeche Mode, Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, Gorillaz, Studio Killers, The Smiths.

Fictional Characters I’d Date: I’m super aro and can never decide if I’d want to actually date a favorite fictional character or just be really good friends with them. I will say that I consider Lisbeth Salander and Furiosa my wives, though.

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

I tag: No one because I’m too lazy. Do the thing if you want.

#me #about me #random ramblies #prompt

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jatamansi-arc · 7 years

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Shabbat Sh’mot 5777

20 January 2017 Rabbi Michael Adam Latz Shir Tikvah Congregation

Cry Unto Pharaoh!

ויקם מלך חדש על מצרים אשר לא ידע את יוסף

A new pharaoh rose up over Egypt who knew not Joseph. Now, when we ended the book of Genesis last week, Joseph and Pharoah had a close relationship—you remember how cozy those two were, saving all the Egyptians and the Children of Jacob by planning ahead; well, the Jews thought they had it made in the Egyptian shade. Not so much. Over the years, this new pharaoh strategically and intentionally made life more and more difficult for the Israelites: taking away their rights, enslaving them, beating them, challenging their basic dignity.

וַיֵּאָ נְ ח֧ ּו בְ נֵֵּֽ י־יִ שְ רָ אֵּ ֵ֛ ל מִ ן־הָ עֲבֹ דָ ָ֖ ה ַוִי ְזָָ֑עקּו

The Israelites groaned under the bondage and cried out;

The new pharaoh was cruel and paranoid, indecent and violent. So we cried out to God—

We cried out to resist tyranny. Because we knew in our bones that slavery and human dignity are incompatible.

Raise your hand if you know the name of the person who delivers your mail? How about the name of the person who picks up the garbage or the recycling or the compost from your house or apartment or condo? This is how white supremacy works, how racism works—it seduces us with a fallacious notion of radical individualism that says we can and must do everything on our own. But in reality, it isolates us so that we don’t even know the names of the people who are intimately involved in our lives: people who pick up our trash, serve our food, draw our blood, clean our streets. It divides us. It dehumanizes us. You want to be a religious person? Learn people’s names. Listen to their stories. Share your own. Break down those invisible but potent barriers. Story telling is a radical act of resistance.

Tonight is a night for stories.

I want you to know the names of two women who remade the world—and without whom, we wouldn’t be here tonight: Shiphrah and Puah.

Shiphrah and Puah were the midwives who delivered the Hebrew babies. And when Pharaoh decreed that all the Israelite boys must be killed (he got paranoid the Israelites would form a mass army and rebel), they engaged in history’s first act of civil disobedience. They refused to do what the almighty Pharaoh demanded.

Pharaoh was furious! “Why are you disobeying me?”

Shiphrah and Puah answered him, “The Hebrew women are vigorous! Their labor is so short—they give birth before we arrive.”

C’mon folks. Shiphrah and Puah lied. They lied to save those babies. They refused to destroy innocent human life because of the ravings of a megalomaniac lunatic. According the Egyptian legal system, they broke the law! But God rewarded them and their households.

And we remember Shiphrah and Puah—and their epic moral courage—this night.

The Exodus story recalls our people’s liberation from slavery to freedom. It wasn’t an easy road to freedom. You might remember the story? Moses didn’t walk up to Pharaoh in his palace one day and say, “You know Sir, we’d like to talk. You see, while we really enjoy working seven days a week in the hot Egyptian sun and don’t really mind our task masters beating us or throwing our baby boys in the Nile, we’ve decided that this just isn’t the right match for us Israelites. Thank you for your time, but we’re going to depart to worship our God in freedom. How does next Tuesday at noon work for you?”

C’mon!

This liberation wasn’t easy! Pharaoh’s heart was stone. The Israelites spent 400 years being treated like garbage. Moses had a hard time speaking in public and the people had Egypt in their hearts. Few of them could imagine a different life—a world where they were free. In fact, the rabbinic commentators explain that the Israelites couldn’t even hear Moses at first—mi-kotzer ruach v’avodah kashah—they were being worked so hard they couldn’t even breathe, much less imagine freedom.

That’s precisely why there were 10 plagues before Pharaoh let the Israelites go free. Why? To remind us that freedom doesn’t happen over night.

You and I—we’ve got a lot in common now with Shiphrah and Puah: as of noon today we are called to engage in ancient acts of resistance. We’re gonna get uncomfortable. Are you ready to get uncomfortable? Are you ready to disrupt business as usual?

That’s hard for a lot of us. We like things orderly. We’re Minnesotans. We’re nice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his famous letter from a Birmingham Jail, “I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

Today, in 2017, the same folks who are demanding a Muslim registry are likely some of the same folks calling in bomb threats to JCCs and bringing guns aplenty into mostly poor, mostly Black and Brown neighborhoods; they’re the same pharaohs who want to take social security away from old folks and health care away from the sick; and blame all our problems on Brown immigrants and Transpeople using public bathrooms as they engage in the cynical politics of division and distraction—all the while never doing a damn thing about Aleppo or the rising oceans or public education or building a bridge or creating a job for anyone not selling oil to Russia.

Those 10 plagues were as much to challenge the Egyptians and the Pharaoh as they were to show the Israelites that we had the power of endurance; the plagues helped the Israelites slaves build the requisite faith and the spiritual muscles to resist tyranny. We build faith step by step, story by story, person by person.

Those 10 plagues were the original politics of disruption; humanity’s boldest wake up call.

You beat these slaves? We’re gonna ruin your water!

You overwork these people? We’re gonna wreck your crops!

You won’t pay them? We’re gonna block your roads!

You won’t free them? We’re gonna turn off the lights!

You deny people their basic human dignity? We coming!

After 10 plagues, Pharaoh’s hardened heart finally shattered and our people marched to freedom!

Because enslaving people, discriminating against people, denying people their innate dignity is such a profound theological affront to God that business as usual just isn't possible. We must never forget where we've come from and who we are: We were slaves in the land of Egypt, you and I; those are the words we recite every Passover seder. This. Is. Personal. Human dignity is our ultimate theological concern. And when that means interrupting business as usual to break the chains of bondage, then it is both our religious inheritance and our moral obligation to rise up against the tyranny that prevents all people from being fully human.

In the next four years, I imagine there are pharaohs who will tell us— or tweet us—something that assaults the deepest promptings of our conscience. Will we stand in the moral breech like Shiphrah and Puah? In our hands will be the decision to join Pharaoh or to engage in moral resistance. Sometimes it will involve rallies and letter writing campaigns and testifying to legislative committees. At times, like Shiphrah and Puah we will be called to proclaim there is a higher, holier purpose and we must be emotionally, spiritually, and ethically prepared to do what is necessary to make manifest those ancient values. Values that cry out like the babies the midwives kept alive— because we know we cannot break that which is already broken—our task is alive with hope and compassion, promise, and redemption. This moment cries for our spiritual and moral resistance to normalizing hatred and violence against people who are different, who look different and pray differently—because we believe what we were taught when we first embraced Torah—that humanity was created in God’s image… That Love. Trumps. Hate.

The Exodus was a theological revolution. It is time for a new theological revolution, a new moral revival!

Every synagogue and mosque and church most now call ourselves to compassionate activism, to stand up for the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the poor, the sick, the immigrant, the Muslim, the Gays, the Trans, the person of color, the elderly, those with disabilities.

If our belief in God does not demand the mitzvot—the commandments—of love, compassion, generosity, and a robust commitment to healing our planet, if it is only focused inward, on the self, its simply narcissism.

The time has come for authentic people of faith to rise up and resist the blaspheming of our religious traditions: Jesus hung with the prostitutes in the hood, Moses crossed the border with a motley band for former slaves with no papers, and Muhammed proclaimed that our attachment to worldly possessions would destroy our ability to see God in the world.

It is time for a theological revolution in America:

A theological revolution where we wake up to the suffering around us and strive, together, to find ways to build a community and society with compassion as the cornerstone of our social policy and human dignity and mutual respect at the heart of our politics.

A theological revolution where people of faith proclaim that racism and sexism and the worship of guns are blasphemy and addressing mass violence and the need for decent public education and quality affordable health care and work that pays a sustainable and thriving wage are not merely rights in a civilized society; they are moral commitments we must make to one another and the next generation.

It is time for a theological revolution in America where we are willing to listen to people who disagree with us because we hold their humanity and our collective future in our hearts and because, to be a person of faith means that hope is a commitment we make to ourselves and to our children.

It is time for a theological revolution that brings to life the Golden rule—do nothing hateful to another human being precisely because we are our sister's and our brother's keepers.

And it is time for a theological revolution that says if and when we invoke the name of the Eternal we better be prepared to defend all of God's creatures and creation with every fiber of our bodies and souls—especially the ones who drive us bananas.

Today, we inaugurated a president who traffics in hatred and colludes with white supremacists. There are those who choose to cozy up to him and his administration, or worse: who suggest we wait and see. No! When you appoint a white supremacist as your chief adviser, when you nominate a man who does not believe in fairness to people of color as your attorney general, when you nominate a climate denier to head the Environmental Protection Agency, when you boast about grabbing women with impunity and you mock those with disabilities, when you threaten to register my Muslim sisters and brothers, when you threaten the health care of 18,000,000 of our fellow citizens, you have shown that you do not share the values of people of faith in this great nation. Our moral tasks are resistance, resilience, and repair.

We will not stand idly by while you make our neighbors and our planet bleed with the stench of xenophobia and racism and sexism. The prophet Elie Wiesel (z”l) taught that we might not be able to stop all injustice, but we’ll all be damned if we don’t try every chance we have.

Our moral task in the next four years is clear:

1. Resistance! Shiphrah and Puah paid attention to the challenges and the world around them. Disrupt and interrupt cruelty every time you witness it. Let no racist joke get finished, no sexist commentary to go unchallenged, no locker room talk be spoken in our presence, no rejection of people who look or pray or believe differently. This is what chutzpah looks like. It means defending what is right, speaking out, and resisting normalizing cruelty even when it doesn’t make you popular. Especially when it doesn’t make you popular.

2. Resilience. If you belong to Shir Tikvah or another spiritual community trying to live into our theological and moral commitments—awesome! If you are not yet a member, what are you waiting for? The only way we’re going to get through this moral swampland is by holding on and joining one another, fiercely. That means supporting the organizations who provide moral leadership in this time of moral crisis. We are powerful, together.

3. Repair. Show Up! Be present. Stretch Spiritually. We’re going to be asked to be present and it’s going to be hard. Its gonna be cold. (Its Minnesota folks; weather is always gonna happen). We’re gonna be tired. And still we need to show up. To rallies. To protests. To the halls of the State Capitol. To congress. To City Hall. As people of faith. Because we believe in human dignity and that our public leaders are servants of the public—not the other way around.

4. Finally, Keep Going. Eight years ago, then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke about a famous New Yorker, Harriet Tubman. Tubman, as you know, guided more than 300 slaves on the Underground Railroad, from the southern slave states to the free states in the north. “And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.

If you hear the dogs, keep going.

If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

If they're shouting after you, keep going.

Don't ever stop. Keep going.

If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.”

We who believe in freedom cannot rest.

We who believe in love, compassion, and human dignity cannot rest.

We who believe that ours is a nation of immigrants cannot rest.

We who believe in the equality, justice, and care for our planet cannot rest.

We who believe that Shiphrah and Puah were right and just when they defied Pharaoh’s immoral decree cannot rest. Keep going!

#jewish things #ooc #sort of #this is my synagogue's standard fare #and people wonder why i'm like #'ahh yeah erik lehnsherr is so jewish let me tell you'#what would ever give me that fucking impression ever

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