#is Tobit true

[inhuman-obey-me]

now i came across the book of tobit that Asmodeus is a wrath demon and has been used in fictional media, but could we see Asmodeus using lust and wrath? But not like how Satan is presented?

Yes, definitely!!

Within general demonology, the seven deadly sins' demon representations can actually vary a bit. Some interpretations have Asmodeus as the demon of lust, while others have him as wrath. And in fact, Asmo's name actually can translate as being derived from the word for wrath! But, in the case of OM, they have seemingly gone with Binsfeld's classification, which is perhaps the most prevalent.

That said, even as OM's Avatar of Lust, Asmo has certainly been shown to also be quite wrathful when he's angry.

For one, his "losing" battle sprites are the only ones besides Satan's to show true anger, consumed by flames and breaking his phone in OG while very pissed and about to break his mic in Nightbringer.

And then we have all the various moments in the games that point to Asmo's wrath, a few of which we've shared below.

(minor Nightbringer spoilers below the cut)

First, we have the classic OG season 1 Asmo, which was a more cruel, cold wrath.

We also have Beelzebub mentioning that both Satan and Asmodeus scare him/are scary when angry.

In Nightbringer Lesson 7 - Hard, aptly titled "Two Terrors", we have Asmodeus ready to kill everyone when he finds out they destroyed his room in the process of hiding from a wrathful Satan -- and ends up scaring said wrathful Satan himself.

Most recently, we've seen Asmodeus straight-up ready to pummel Mammon.

And of course, we can't leave out this lovely little panel from the mini-comics the official Obey Team shared a while back, where Asmo gets pissed that Mammon fell asleep while doing his nails.

So indeed, it's not quite the same as Satan's wrath, but Asmodeus is most definitely terrifying when he's mad!

Anyway, for our part, we strongly believe that being the Avatar of Lust includes bloodlust, as well. 🥰

[wihellib]

The 3 Angels

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are depicted as seraphim in WHB, but that is not true in the canonical bible. To be more accurate, they should be depicted as archangels.

Seraphim are angels with six wings who surround God’s throne, continually worshiping and proclaiming His holiness. On the other hand, archangels are known for their warrior, leadership and messenger roles.

Michael and Gabriel are the only named angels of any kind in the canonical bible, with only Michael being explicitly called an archangel.

Michael is explicitly called an archangel in the bible and is depicted as a warrior leading heavenly armies against evil forces. Gabriel, while not explicitly called an archangel in the bible, serves as a divine messenger delivering important revelations to figures like Mary. Christians often regard Gabriel as an archangel due to his prominence and duties.

Raphael is not mentioned in the canonical bible at all. Instead, he is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, which is part of the deuterocanonical books. In Tobit, Raphael disguises himself as a human and accompanies Tobit’s son on a journey, where he helps overcome a demon and cures Tobit’s blindness. Then, Raphael reveals his true identity as one of the seven angels who stands in the presence of God. His role as a healer and protector has led many to regard him as an archangel.

[incorrectfizzarozzie]

Y'all.....so doing some minor research for a fic, and obvi Vvzie could have a totally different backstory for Ozzie......but. In Jewish legend specifically the book of Tobit, Asmodeus was in lust with a woman named Sarah, to the point that he killed seven of her husbands. Until an angel intervened and told Tobias how to defeat him.

I bring this up because, it made me think of how a lot of people are saying that Ozzie is being too protective/possessive/controlling of Fizz....but, what if Ozzie had learned his lesson?

Like, assuming that the legend holds true for Vivzie's take on Ozzie and that once upon a time, he was so controlling and in lust with someone he killed anyone she was in love with. He wanted to possess her. Maybe this time, he's learned his lesson...unlike with Sarah he's not in lust with Fizz he's in love with Fizz. He sees Fizz as his own person, but he still wants to protect Fizz and make sure he doesn't get hurt. Or on the flipside, maybe while he does love Fizz...old habits die hard, and to him loving someone means keeping them close, making sure nothing and no one else can touch them.

So, maybe he did love Sarah and in his younger years, was much more possessive with that love....whereas in the present day after however many centuries, he's mellowed out enough to where he's not as possessive of Fizz as he was of Sarah.

Hence, unlike with Sarah he can easily be talked into allowing fizz more freedom and control.

Your thoughts?

[thatscarletflycatcher]

an old post but a lot of protestant bibles do include the deuterocanon, they are just labelled as apocrypha so people know they aren't canon

Hi, anon! An old post? Is it even a month old? XD

You are right about this -I did meant the whole thing as a bit of a lighthearted joke. But I also think it is true that because they are labeled as apocrypha, they are not really read, generally speaking, and that's what the "they don't even have Judith" meme was going for. But I'm curious now, so let's make a poll:

*I am aware that there's more books that are accepted as canonical between Orthodox Christians, but that would make the poll much more complicated.

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

Hey everyone! I'm so so soooo sorry that I didn't post until Today. I was going to post on Monday, but I needed to completely rewrite my Education Midterm, and that took away all my free time

We have a number of Biblical Texts that were, for one reason or another, not included in our modern Bible. The Books of Enoch, the history of the Maccabees, Tobit. We can guess what to do with them, but we don't have to, because Joseph did:

"Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly; There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men. Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated. Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;" (D&C 91:1-4)

So, the Apocrypha is true, but also not. It's more like the Apocrypha is true, but you need to have the Spirit to understand it. It's like the Book of Revelation in that way

I have a lot to say about the Apocrypha. It's a wealth of interesting stories and information. But, I'll just tell you to go study it yourself

Journal of Discourses

I don't know if anyone here has read the JoD, but I have. Since I have a life outside of Mormon Scholarship (for now) I haven't read all 26 Multi-Hundred page Volumes. But there's some interesting stuff in there. From Brigham alone, we get the Garden Cosmology, Instructions for a Zion Community, the Cumorah Cave, and the idea that keeping Kosher is more important than the Word of Wisdom (and that's just the beginning). Now, we don't believe in any of that stuff (his view of Zion has more communalism than most Mormons would be comfortable with), but there's plenty of stuff we do believe. This is why I see the JoD as Mormon Apocrypha.

Actually, I would compare it to the Jewish Talmud. The Jerusalem & Babylonian Talmuds were written in an age of chaos for the Jewish Community, and it was written to build regulations based on the Oral Law. The JoD were written in Polygamy-era Utah, after the Church shattered, with many questions left after Nauvoo (with the Endowment, the King Follet & Grove Sermons, and others left unexplained to the vast majority of the Church). This caused much debate, like Orson vs Brigham on who Heavenly Father is. We accept much of what is in there, but not everything (just like how a Jewish person can accept Hillel's ruling on one issue, and Shammai's on another).

I'm not going to recommend everyone read the JoD though. There's a lack of Scholarship about it, it can lead to weird places (Adam did it with Mary, Sun People & Moon Quakers, ect), and it's kind of a slog between the insanity. It's a Milk/Meat situation, but if you're ready for the Meat, and have the Spirit, then go ahead

Interesting Reads

"Strange Thing in the Land"- https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/s/IusTpLg48v

Journal of Discourses- https://journalofdiscourses.com/

https://rsc.byu.edu/apocryphal-writings-latter-day-saints/whose-apocrypha

https://www.ldsliving.com/5-teachings-from-the-apocrypha-latter-day-saints-can-learn-from/s/89576

I can't think of any questions to ask. If you have any, add to the Comments

[asteroidgalore]

Master List of Posts

this is a work in progress, check back for more other times. last updated Monday, August 28, 2023.

I really appreciate comments with your placement of the asteroid.

First and foremost, about energy/effective energy manipulation.

The Four Esoteric Paths

About Master Posts in General where as the Post itself is the man.

Lilith - The Lilith Asteroids; Ceres as a Wounded Piece of Lilith;

Adonis - Being Brought to Persephone;

Asmodeus - As a Genie; Defined and Relationship with Sarah; Running Away with Lucifer; Tobit 3:16;

ASTEROID THEORIES

Conversion - Conversion or Translation to One's Own;

POSTS ABOUT MISCELLANEOUS GODDESSES

Aphrodite - Caring for son Eros; Parentage;

Athena/Athene - Rape of Cassandra; Rape of Medusa; Sufferer of Depression;

Cassandra - Seeking Sanctuary with Athena;

Gaia - As Wife of Uranus;

Glauke - Strength Compared to Hades;

Freyja - As a Dark Sorceress and Goddess of Love;

Hecate - Venus and Moon Dominant; Linked to Fates; About Disrespect; Nyx as a Competent Mother; Conjunction Functions; On Hecate as a Male; About Sacred Sexuality; A Wounded Hecate; Feast Day of August 13th;

Iris - Wife of Beelzebub;

Ishtar - Protectress of Prostitutes;

Juno - Finding Enchantment in Mild Tangibles;

Medusa - Being Assaulted by Perseus; Children with Neptune;

Pandora - Meaning Gifts;

Psyche - On being turned into a Goddess; Goddess of the Soul;

POSTS ABOUT CERTAIN SUBJECTS

Nurturing - Grief Eating;

Prostitution - Industry; Working Girls; Death and Destruction promised by God; Ishtar's Vengeance Against GOD.

Prioritizing - About Something Urgent; One True Love;

Tools/Objects - Finding Better Search Results; Winchester as a Brand of Bullets;

POSTS ABOUT MUSIC AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Being in Love - With a Stripper;

POSTS ABOUT DISORDER

Personality Disorders - Narcissistic Personality Disorder; Psyche as an Empath; Narcissistic Gas; Masterman;

Complex Post Trauma Disorders - About Being Deprived;

POSTS ABOUT EGYPT

Anubis - As really sexy; As a Masculine Version of Nephthys;

Apophis - Wife Taweret as Daughter of Amun and Mutt; As Epitome of Egypt; On Cruelty; A Warning to Never Praise This Guy; Natural Disasters; After Being Slayed;

Cleopatra - Symbolizing Joy and Dancing; Isis as Inspiration;

Amun-Ra - Different from Osiris;

Queen Hatsheput - As the World's Most Noble Lady;

Horus - Greek Equivalent is Apollo;

Nephthys - Gold as Illumination to Get Out of Depression; Osiris' Downfall; A warning to not Mistake her for Isis; Serket as Nephthys' Daughter; A daughter of Nut; At her worst;

Nut - Children of Nut; Daughters as Protectresses; Isis' Shadow Side Compared to Seth Terrorizing Horus;

Osiris - Husband of Isis, Father of Osiris; Name Meaning;

Sekhem - Alchemy;

POSTS CATEGORIZED BY RELIGIOUS ATTRIBUTION

Hinduism - Kali as a Nurturing Mother and Force of Destruction;

[skystonedclouds]

Hi Sky - Firstly, I don’t doubt your experience was real. My cousin is a believer and is frequently visited, tempted and tormented by demons. Scripture says believers are not immune to demonic oppression. In order to combat spiritual warfare, we must put on “the full armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). We cannot fight Satan alone, but he will flee from the Holy Spirit within us as we battle using the Word of God as our weapon. Demons know there is only one true God and they shudder with fear of Him (James 2:19). As for demon(s) showing you kindness, please remember the devil does not come to you speaking of fire and brimstone but will entice you with seemingly wonderful things. He convinced Eve she could be as knowledgeable as God. As Jesus walked the desert starving, Satan tempted Him with bread. The devil seeks to make you blind to God’s plan for your life and to make you forget Jesus is the only way to everlasting life. He fights God endlessly, snatching every soul he can in attempt to out-wit and defy God. Though Satan will succeed in stealing some, in the end he and his demons (including your demon) will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 2:10). You mentioned a demon helping people in the book of Tobit. This is another example of evil imitating good to ensnare souls with trickery and is full-on deception. Demons claiming they wish to repent or be supportive of you is an example of them luring you into their trap by pretending to be empathetic. Satan can quote Scripture and can use that to persuade you (as seen in Luke 4:9-12). I recommend articles on the website compellingtruth.org for learning about spiritual warfare. They also have articles on the history and behavior of demons. I emphatically urge you to reach out to God so you may be released from these evil shackles. You will be in my prayers too.

Thank you for your care 💕 No matter what happens I’m glad you care.

Right now, I trust some demons. I just… don’t want to talk much about it. May you be blessed anyways.

[ineffablydestroyed]

I saw someone mention a theory that Aziraphale is actually the one who is Raphael—not as in he’s been him all along, but that’s who he’ll become when he’s given archangel status

Whether that’s true or not, I was poking around to see if I could get some confirmation bias (very light surface poking on the internet and I’m no religious geek). I saw that in the Book of Tobit, Raphael had a human disguise under the name Azarias (alternatively Azariah)

Just thought that it was interesting how close you get to “Aziraphale” if you put those two names together

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

29th September >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 1:47-51 for Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels: ‘You will see greater things’.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

Gospel (Except USA) John 1:47-51 You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

Gospel (USA) John 1:47-51 You will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Reflections (10)

(i) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

Each of the three archangels of today’s feast feature in the Scriptures. Each of them give expression to some aspect of God’s presence. Michael expresses God’s protective presence, guarding us from evil, as is shown in today’s second reading where he defeats Satan in heaven. Raphael expresses God’s healing presence, as in the Book of Tobit where he heals the blindness of Tobit. Gabriel expresses God’s presence as good news for all humankind. In the gospels it is Gabriel who announces the good news of the birth of John the Baptist to Elisabeth and Zechariah and the much more wonderful news of the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. These three archangels in the Bible are messengers of God, bringing God’s saving presence to God’s people. The greatest messenger of God was Jesus. Whereas angels belong to the heavenly world, Jesus belongs to both the heavenly world and the earthly world. In the heavenly world he is not just one of the angels in God’s presence, but God’s only begotten Son. In the earthly world he is fully human, with the full range of human emotions and subject to all the limitations of the human condition, including death. There is a quality to Jesus that sets him apart from all heavenly and earthly creatures. He alone is God in human form. In the gospel reading Jesus reveals himself to Nathanael as the Son of Man on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. There is a story in the Book of Genesis about Jacob who had a dream of a ladder between heaven and earth with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Jesus is saying to Nathanael that he is the bridge between heaven and earth. He brings heaven to earth. He reveals God to us and brings us God’s love and God’s life. Today’s feast of the archangels points us towards Jesus as God’s greatest messenger and gift to us, for whom we give constant thanks and praise to God.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

On this feast of the archangels the gospel reading this morning speaks of the angels of God ascending and descending above the Son of Man. This is an image which is inspired by the dream of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. In that dream Jacob saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it. The angels were seen as a link between heaven and earth, as one of the ways God communicated with humanity. Jesus in the gospel reading suggests that he is now the true link between heaven and earth; he is God in human form, heaven on earth. He brings the role of the angels to completion and perfects their mediating role. The angels point us in the direction of Jesus who, according to the letter to the Hebrews,’ is as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs’. In thanking God for the angels today, we thank him even more for the one towards whom they point, God’s Son who has brought God to us in a way that no angel ever has done or could do.

And/Or

(iii) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

One of the primary roles of angels in the Scriptures is that of messenger. They function as God’s messengers to people. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael all played that role in the Jewish Scriptures. They made God present to people. To that extent the angels bridged the gap between heaven and earth. The primary and unique messenger of God to us is, of course, Jesus. He, more than any angel, has bridged the gap between heaven and earth. That seems to be the meaning of the words of Jesus to Nathanael in this morning’s gospel reading, ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending’. In the Book of Genesis, Jacob had a dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending on it; it was a vision of heaven and earth meeting. Jesus declares that now the angels are descending and ascending upon him; he is the one in whom heaven and earth meet. In looking at the face of Jesus we are looking into heaven, we are looking at the face of God. That is why Jesus and not the angels are at the centre of our faith. That is why Jesus could say to his disciples, and to us, in one of the other gospels, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see’.

And/Or

(iv) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

Each of the angels whose feast we celebrate today are God’s messengers. Gabriel was God’s messenger to Mary, revealing God’s choice of her to be the mother of God’s Son. In the Book of Revelation, Michael is God’s messenger in God’s battle with the forces of Satan. In the Book of Tobit, Raphael is God’s messenger of healing to both Tobit and Sarah. God’s greatest messenger was Jesus. He wasn’t simply the greatest of the angels because he wasn’t just a spiritual being like the angels. He was as much a human being as any of us, and yet he was at the same time fully of the Spirit. He was God in human form. In this morning’s gospel reading he reveals himself to Nathanael as the one on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. There is a reference here to the dream of Jacob. He dreamt of a ladder connecting heaven and earth with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Jesus is declaring himself to be the true meeting point of heaven and earth, the one in whom heaven is present to earth. This could not be said of any angel. There is a place for angels within the Christian tradition, but if they become more central than Jesus, then our faith has gone off balance. Jesus is the ultimate messenger of the Father, and he sends us out as his messengers, ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you’. Since the coming of Jesus, we, the members of his body have been asked to take on the role of the angels. Unlike the angels, we are called to be flesh and blood messengers of the Lord, as he was a flesh and blood messenger of God.

And/Or

(v) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

I have always warmed to the person of Nathanael as portrayed by the evangelist in this morning’s gospel reading. He clearly wasn’t the kind of man who got carried away by other people’s enthusiasms. When Philip breathlessly tells him, ‘We have found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth’, Nathanael’s reply was, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth’. To Philip’s credit, he persisted with Nathanael, and he must have broken through Nathanael’s prejudice because at the beginning of this morning’s gospel reading we find Nathanael coming towards Jesus. Jesus addresses him as a man incapable of deceit, someone in whom there is no guile. What you see is what you get, as we might say today. As a result of his meeting with Jesus the sceptic comes to confess Jesus as ‘the Son of God… the King of Israel’. Jesus makes Nathanael a wonderful promise, ‘You will see…’ Angels were understood as mediators, connecting heaven and earth. Jesus promises Nathanael that he will come to appreciate Jesus as the meeting point of heaven and earth. Nathanael travelled a journey from scepticism to great faith, with the promise of greater things to come. We are all on a journey of faith; we can all hope to see those greater things that Jesus promises Nathanael. As Paul says, ‘now we see as in a mirror dimly, then we shall see face to face’.

And/Or

(vi) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

All three of the archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael appear in the Scriptures. The Book of Revelation describes Michael as the leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the forces of Satan. Gabriel was the angel who appeared to Zachariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptizer and who appeared to Mary to announce that she would bear a Son who would be conceived of the Holy Spirit. Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit; he was sent by God to help the elderly Tobit, and his son Tobias and Sarah, Tobias’ wife. In all these cases these archangels work to bring God’s good purposes for humanity to pass. The one who uniquely worked to bring to pass God’s good purposes for humanity was, of course, Jesus. In today’s gospel reading from John, Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of Man on whom the angels of God ascend and descend. If the archangels and angels are God’s messengers, Jesus is God’s most complete messenger because he is God in human form, the Word made flesh. Later on in John’s gospel, Jesus will say to his disciples, ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you’. Jesus sends us out as his messengers; we are all called to share in the Lord’s work of bringing God’s good purposes for humanity to pass. In that sense, the archangels whose feast we celebrate today remind us of our own fundamental calling.

And/Or

(vii) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

The three archangels whose feast we celebrate today have always been honoured within the Christian tradition. Michael is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as the archangel who defeated Satan and his forces and cast them out of heaven and has been venerated as protector of Christians in general and of soldiers in particular. Gabriel brought the good news to Mary that she was to be the mother of God’s Son, and has been venerated as the patron of those involved in the world of communications. Raphael features prominently in the Book of Tobit, guiding Tobias, Tobit’s son, to his future wife, Raguel, and healing the blindness of Tobit himself, and has been venerated as the patron of nurses, physicians and the blind. All three were God’s messengers, engaged in the doing of God’s work. Each of them points beyond themselves to God’s greatest messenger who completed God’s work on the cross, Jesus of Nazareth. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus says to Nathanael, ‘you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending’. These words of Jesus echo the dream of Jacob in the Book of Genesis in which he saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth and the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Jacob woke up and realized that the place where he had slept was a kind of a meeting place between heaven and earth. So, he called the place ‘Bethel’, which means ‘House of God’. In the gospel reading, Jesus is saying that he is the meeting point of heaven and earth, the place where God meets with us in a way that far surpasses how the angels brought God to people. It is Jesus who shows us the face of God. When we look upon him, we are getting a glimpse of heaven. This morning, in thanking God for the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, we thank God even more for the one to whom they point and who says to us, ‘Whoever sees me, see the Father’.

And/Or

(viii) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

Three archangels are named in Scripture. Michael is the defender of the church against Satan in the Book of Revelation; Gabriel is God’s messenger to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the gospel of Luke; Raphael heals the blindness of Tobit in the Book of Tobit. Each of these angelic figures in the Scriptures brings new life to others, whether in the form of proclaiming good news of great joy or healing or protecting from evil. They are messengers of the living God who wishes us to have life to the full. They point ahead to Jesus, the greatest messenger of God. The angels always point us to Jesus. If we stop at the angels and go no further, we have lost our bearings. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of Man, on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. This is a reference to the dream of Jacob, in the Book of Genesis. Jacob dreamt of a ladder reaching between heaven and earth with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. He realized on waking that the place where he stood was the meeting place of heaven and earth. The image of the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man suggests that Jesus is the meeting point of heaven and earth. This could not be said of any angel. Jesus is both of the earth and of heaven, fully human and fully divine. He is God in human form. The invitation that Philip gave to Nathanael in the gospel reading, ‘Come and see’, is given to each one of us by Jesus himself. He calls out to each of us to come to him, to journey towards him, and to see him as he really is, the one through whom God is fully present to us. As we come to him and see him, we are then sent out to witness to him with our lives.

And/Or

(ix) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

There are three archangels mentioned by name in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Michael protects the people of God. According to the book of Revelation, he was God’s agent in defeating Satan in heaven and casting him down to earth. Raphael, acting as God’s agent, heals the blindness of Tobias in the book of Tobit. Gabriel proclaims God’s message to Zechariah and to Mary at the beginning of Luke’s gospel. There are spiritual beings who act on God’s behalf in relation to God’s people, protecting, healing and proclaiming God’s word. In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This is a reference to the dream of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. Jacob dreamt that he saw the angels of God ascending and descending on a ladder connecting heaven and earth. Jacob came to realise that the place where he was speaking was being touched by heaven and he went on to call that place Bethel, House of God. The archangels brought a touch of heaven to earth in the Scriptures. However, in the gospel reading Jesus is suggesting by his image of the angels of God ascending and descending upon him that he is uniquely the meeting place of heaven and earth. He, above all, is the one where heaven touches earth, where God encounters humanity. These are the ‘greater things’ that Jesus invites Nicodemus and all of us to recognize. The risen Lord is with us today as the one who brings something of heaven to earth. He calls us and empowers us to go forth in his name as his messengers, bringing something of the life of heaven to this earth. We not only pray, ‘they kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven’, but we try to make that prayer something of a reality through our lives.

And/Or

(x) Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

There are many angels in the Bible but only three of them are named. Michael is portrayed as the defender and protector of believers from Satan and evil. Gabriel brought the good news of the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. Raphael was instrumental in healing the blindness of Tobit in the Book of Tobit. They were all God’s messengers, revealing God’s presence in different ways. They point ahead to God’s greatest messenger, who is Jesus. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks of himself to Nathanael as the one on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. The background to his image of ascending and descending angels is a dream that Jacob had in the Book of Genesis. In his dream he saw a ladder connecting heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending on it. When he woke up he concluded that the place where he had been sleeping must be the gate of heaven, the house of God, and he proceeded to build an altar there. He called the place Bethel, which in Hebrew means ‘House of God’. In speaking the way he does, Jesus claims to be that gate of heaven, that house of God. He is the supreme connection between heaven and earth. In Jesus heaven comes to earth in a way that is not true of any angel. Jesus reveals God’s presence to us as fully as any messenger from God could. When we look upon Jesus, we are looking upon the face of God. That is why there is always more to see in Jesus. As Jesus says to Nathanael, ‘you will see greater things’. We can never exhaust the fullness of God that is to be found in Jesus. In our relationship with Jesus, there is always ‘greater things’ to see. Our relationship with the Lord is always an adventure that continues to open up new horizons, new vistas on God and on God’s relationship with us.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

7th June >> Mass Readings (USA)

Wednesday, Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour : Green. Year A(1))

First Reading Tobit 3:1-11a, 16-17a The prayer of these two petitioners was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God.

Grief-stricken in spirit, I, Tobit, groaned and wept aloud. Then with sobs I began to pray:

“You are righteous, O Lord, and all your deeds are just; All your ways are mercy and truth; you are the judge of the world. And now, O Lord, may you be mindful of me, and look with favor upon me. Punish me not for my sins, nor for my inadvertent offenses, nor for those of my ancestors.

“We sinned against you, and disobeyed your commandments. So you handed us over to plundering, exile, and death, till you made us the talk and reproach of all the nations among whom you had dispersed us.

“Yes, your judgments are many and true in dealing with me as my sins and those of my ancestors deserve. For we have not kept your commandments, nor have we trodden the paths of truth before you.

“So now, deal with me as you please, and command my life breath to be taken from me, that I may go from the face of the earth into dust. It is better for me to die than to live, because I have heard insulting calumnies, and I am overwhelmed with grief.

“Lord, command me to be delivered from such anguish; let me go to the everlasting abode; Lord, refuse me not. For it is better for me to die than to endure so much misery in life, and to hear these insults!”

On the same day, at Ecbatana in Media, it so happened that Raguel’s daughter Sarah also had to listen to abuse, from one of her father’s maids. For she had been married to seven husbands, but the wicked demon Asmodeus killed them off before they could have intercourse with her, as it is prescribed for wives. So the maid said to her: “You are the one who strangles your husbands! Look at you! You have already been married seven times, but you have had no joy with any one of your husbands. Why do you beat us? Is it on account of your seven husbands, Because they are dead? May we never see a son or daughter of yours!”

The girl was deeply saddened that day, and she went into an upper chamber of her house, where she planned to hang herself. But she reconsidered, saying to herself: “No! People would level this insult against my father: ‘You had only one beloved daughter, but she hanged herself because of ill fortune!’ And thus would I cause my father in his old age to go down to the nether world laden with sorrow. It is far better for me not to hang myself, but to beg the Lord to have me die, so that I need no longer live to hear such insults.” At that time, then, she spread out her hands, and facing the window, poured out her prayer:

“Blessed are you, O Lord, merciful God, and blessed is your holy and honorable name. Blessed are you in all your works for ever!”

At that very time, the prayer of these two suppliants was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God. So Raphael was sent to heal them both: to remove the cataracts from Tobit’s eyes, so that he might again see God’s sunlight; and to marry Raguel’s daughter Sarah to Tobit’s son Tobiah, and then drive the wicked demon Asmodeus from her.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 25:2-3, 4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

R/ To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

In you I trust; let me not be put to shame, let not my enemies exult over me. No one who waits for you shall be put to shame; those shall be put to shame who heedlessly break faith.

R/ To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.

R/ To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your kindness are from of old. In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD.

R/ To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way.

R/ To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Gospel Acclamation John 11:25a, 26

Alleluia, alleluia. I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 12:18-27 He is not God of the dead but of the living.

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants. So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise. And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her.” Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[bernardo1969]

The Book of Tobit is a sapiential book of a didactic nature that seeks, through simple and everyday wisdom, to leave a clear ethical or moral message to learn; in a world where suffering and oppression prevail, those who persevere with security in God triumph in the struggle for life and achieve the true beatitude. The book does not delve into great theological issues, as also occurs in the Book of Ruth, but these texts serve to reflect on the importance of the good examples. Tobit was a man from the tribe of Naphtali who had been deported to Assyria, after the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel. The book relates that Tobit had a son named Tobiah, and that Tobit, seeing death near due to a serious blindness that he suffered, decided to send his son Tobiah to collect some money that he had in deposit in the region of Media. But the Bible relates that Tobit did not do this without first giving his son Tobiah a series of good tips so that he would remember them and always keep them in mind. With this Tobit not only sought to give a material legacy to his son, but he also sought for his son to receive that ancestral wisdom that protects men from the serious dangers of life. And so Tobit reminded his son, among other things, of the importance of avoiding the worst capital sins, pride, and laziness: "For in arrogance there is ruin and great instability. In idleness there is loss and dire poverty, for idleness is the mother of famine" Tobit 4:13. These sins, due to their level of destructiveness, are what guarantee people's ruin in the long term; neither the lazy nor the arrogant reach a safe haven. The Book relates that God protected Tobiah on his journey and that the young man, thanks to his intelligence and determination, always remembering the words of his father, managed to recover the money, cure his father upon his return home, and obtain a good wife during his mission.

[devoutpriest]

langstonmatriarch:

“A miracle…” Margaret repeated the word, nodding a little as she considered it, “I suppose it must be” Another tight smile, all politeness and no true sentiment, those grey-blue eyes never wrinkling with the warm of a true, unguarded smile. “Yes, I was…I suppose it was preferable to waking up in my old hospital bed. I imagine it’s new patient would not have been pleased by my arrival,” Another smile. “And the roads in Arcadia are hardly dangerous…it was merely a….pleasant evening walk” Not quite. She had walked barefoot on the cold gravel road ; confused and zombie-like. A deer had been behind her, she felt, as she walked eerily through the mist.

Disorientating. And the realisation of what she had become, the very demons her Father had killed…not quite pleasant. Father had said she was a demon, he could not recognise ; as she saw him again in the white house ; well, that was something, she thought. Father was a religious demon hunter, called Tobit, he with the Prolethean belief in Christianity. He wore a mask with orange swirls when hunting. She clasped her hands together in front of her. “Do monks accept invitations to a family dinner?“

“I imagine that your hospital bed must have been quite uncomfortable, then.” His remark is followed by a short chuckle. To be less comfortable on the hospital bed, he thought it would have a hard mattress, when one touches it with their hand.

“…As long as you weren’t in any definite danger on the road.”

Doubt still laces his tone, especially when he hears Margaret compare it to something as simplistic as an evening walk but he doesn’t push the issue further. His eyes dilate in surprise, at Margaret’s offer. It was certainly unexpected, yet not entirely unwelcome.

“I could make an exception, yes. It is kind of you to offer, Ms. Langston.”

It had not being his intent to sup with one of the Returned, but this meant that he could ask more questions; get to be more acquainted with Margaret and her family.

[stickyllamastudent]

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Angel Numbers, Spirituality, Symbolism and Astrology - Totally the Dream

You searched for 75 books missing from bible - Totally the Dream

The List of 75 Books Removed From the Bible - Totally the Dream

The List of 75 Books Removed or Excluded from the Bible

The Protevangelion

The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas

The Epistles of Jesus Christ and Abgarus King of Edessa

The Gospel of Nicodemus (Acts of Pilate)

The Apostles’ Creed (throughout history)

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Laodiceans

The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Seneca, with Seneca’s to Paul

The Acts of Paul and Thecla

The Epistle of Clement

The Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

The Epistle of Barnabas

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans 

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrneans

The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp

The Shepherd of Hermas (Visions, Commands, and Similitudes)

Letter of Herod To Pilate the Governor

Letter of Pilate to Herod

The Lost Gospel of Peter

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians

Book of Enoch 1

Book of Enoch 2 (known as The Secrets of Enoch

Enoch 3 

Book of Esdras 1 

Book of Esdras 2

Book of Maccabees 1

Book of Maccabees 2

Book of Maccabees 3

Book of Maccabees 4

Book of Maccabees 5

Book of Tobit

Book of Jasher

Book of Judith

Book of Esther

Book of Ecclesiasticus / Sirach

Book of Jubilees

Book of Baruch 1

Book of Barucu 2

Book of Baruch 3 

Book of The Shepherd of Hermas

Book of Wisdom / Wisdom of Solomon

Book of The Psalms of Solomon

Book of The Odes of Solomon

Book of Giants

Book of Adam and Eve 1 

The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan

The Gospel of James / The Protevangelion

The Gospel of Peter

The Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Nicodemus / Acts of Pilate

The Syriac Infancy Gospel / Infancy of Jesus Christ

The Epistles of Jesus Christ and Abgarus, King of Edessa

The Epistle of Aristeas

The Epistle of Jeremiah

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Laodiceans

The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Seneca

The Epistle of Pilate to Herod

Assumption of Moses

Apocalypse of Moses

Testament of Abraham

Apocalypse of Abraham

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 

The Acts of Paul

The Acts of Paul and Thecla

The Apostles Creed

Psalm 151

Story of Susanna*

Story of Bel and The Dragon*

Story of Ahikar*

The Prayer of Azariah and the Songs of the Three Holy Children*

Prayer of Manasseh

[lennart11412]

JB TOBIT Chapter 3

3:1 Then, sad at heart, I sighed and wept, and began this prayer of lamentation:

3:2 ‘You are just, O Lord, and just are all your works. All your ways are grace and truth, and you are the Judge of the world.

3:3 ‘Therefore, Lord, remember me, look on me. Do not punish me for my sins or for my heedless faults or for those of my fathers. ‘For we have sinned against you

3:4 and broken your commandments; and you have given us over to be plundered, to captivity and death, to be the talk, the laughing-stock and scorn of all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.

3:5 ‘Whereas all your decrees are true when you deal with me as my faults deserve, and those of my fathers, since we have neither kept your commandments nor walked in truth before you;

3:6 so now, do with me as you will; be pleased to take my life from me; I desire to be delivered from earth and to become earth again. For death is better for me than life. I have been reviled without a cause and I am distressed beyond measure. ‘Lord, I wait for the sentence you will give to deliver me from this affliction. Let me go away to my everlasting home; do not turn your face from me, O Lord. For it is better to die than still to live in the face of trouble that knows no pity; I am weary of hearing myself traduced.’

hymn

1 O Lord, turn not Thy face away From them that lowly lie, Lamenting sore their sinful life With tears and bitter cry.

2 Thy mercy-gates are open wide To them that mourn their sin; O shut them not against us, Lord, But let us enter in.

3 We need not to confess our fault, For surely Thou canst tell; What we have done, and what we are, Thou knowest very well.

4 Wherefore, to beg and to entreat, With tears we come to Thee, As children that have done amiss Fall at their father's knee.

5 And need we, then, O Lord, repeat The blessing which we crave, When Thou dost know, before we speak, The thing that we would have?

6 Mercy, O Lord, mercy we seek, This is the total sum: For mercy, Lord, is all our prayer; O let Thy mercy come.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

[buggie-hagen]

Everything that was spoken by the prophets of Israel, whom God sent, will occur. None of all their words will fail, but all will come true at their appointed times. ~Tobit 14:4

[tpanan]

My Saturday Daily Blessings

June 10, 2023

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........        

Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (Roman Rite Calendar) Lectionary 358

First Reading:  

  Tb 12:1, 5-15, 20

Responsorial Psalm:  

      Tobit 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8

Verse Before the Gospel:            

Mt 5:3

**Gospel:  

Mk 12:38-44

**Reflection:

What is true religion and devotion to God? Jesus warns his disciples against the wrong kind of religion. In his denunciation of the scribes (the religious experts of his day), he warns against three things: the desire for prominence and first place of honor rather than lowly service for the benefit of others; the desire for deference and recognition (and seeking esteem from others) rather than seeking to promote the good of others through humble service and selfless care for others; and thirdly, attempting to use one's position (even a religious position) for self-gain and self-advancement. True religion is relating rightly to God and to one's neighbor with love, honor, and respect. The Lord puts his Holy Spirit within us that we may be filled with the joy of his presence, the joy of true worship, and the joy of selfless giving and love for others. True reverence for God frees the heart to give liberally, both to God and to neighbor.

Love is more precious than gold or silver Jesus taught his disciples a dramatic lesson in generous giving with love and devotion. Love doesn't calculate - it spends lavishly! Jesus drove this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people offering their tithes. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has ample means? Jesus' answer is very simple - love is more precious than gold!

Real giving comes from a heart full of gratitude Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given with a grudge or for display loses most of its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is invaluable. The amount or size of the gift doesn't matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she recklessly gave away all she had! Jesus praised someone who gave barely a penny - how insignificant a sum - because it was everything she had, her whole living. What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. Do you know the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor with gratitude and love?Lord Jesus, all that I have is yours. Take my life, my possessions, my time and all that I have and use them as you desire for your glory.

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, copyright (c) 2001, 1998, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain (c) 1968, 1981, 1997, international committee on english in the liturgy, Inc All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

**Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use - please cite:  copyright © 2023 Servants of the Word, source:  dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager.