11/07/2019
Thursday 11 July 2019
Weekday 14
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: Luminous Mystery
EKITI: Tomorrow is the 11th Anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Most Revd Felix Femi Ajakaye, 12th July 2008
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 44: l8-21.23b-29; 45: 1-5)
“God sent me before you to preserve life,”
In those days: Judah went up to Joseph and said, “O my lord, let your servant, I beg you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children; and his father loves him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him. Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my grey hairs in sorrow to Sheol.”’ Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I beg you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 105:16-17.18-19.20-21 (R. 5a)
R. Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
Or: Alleluia.
But he called down a famine on the land;
he broke their staff of bread.
He had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, sold as a slave. R.
His feet were weighed down in chains,
his neck was bound with iron,
until what he said came to pass,
and the word of the Lord proved him true. R.
Then the king sent orders and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him master of his house
and ruler of all his possessions. R.
ALLELUIA Mark 1: 15
Alleluia. The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 10:7—15)
“You received without pay, give without pay.”
At that time: Jesus said to his apostles, “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay. Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the labourer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart. As you enter the house, salute it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if any one will not receive you or listen to. your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of S***m and Gomorrah than for that town.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The great apostle Paul asks: “What have we that was not given us?” Developing the attitude to reach out to others without expecting any favours in return is the best expression of Christianity. We should do our work daily not because of what we expect to get from it, but because we rejoice at what we are able to give to others through the service we render. This is called poverty of spirit. It liberates us from greed and preoccupation with material possessions. It enables us to be dependent on God. In a world driven by craving for wealth, where people do unimaginable things, God calls us to depend on Him.
Today’s Saint and Quote
St. Benedict of Nursia – July 11th
He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands.
Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.
Personal Devotional
“Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers beak in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy. Matt. 6:19
- I renounce every worldly attachment, soul-tie in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Father, I humbly ask that you grant me the grace of unshakable faith in you, in Jesus name
Let Us Pray
In Psalm 34:18, the scripture says, “The Lord is near to those who are discouraged and saves those who have lost all hope.” Father, come to my aid concerning the following (mention them)
And grant me your grace, give me a heart to be charitable around me as I lay up treasure for myself in heaven.
