This was a good set of reflections and notes I thought. I especially liked that I had written a personal note about what was going on in my life at the time–January of 2021. I also got to pull a note from the Book of Sirach for today’s Catholic Bible Study.
Catholic Bible Study
Genesis 31:17-32:12, Matthew 10:24-11:6, Psalm13:1-6, Proverbs 3:16-18, Sirach 5:9-15
I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and told me, “Be careful about what you say to Jacob!”
This makes me wonder how often, (if any?) does the Lord speak to someone about me? And then I tried to remember times when the Lord spoke to me about someone. I’m obviously not talking about audible words, but nudges, feelings, gut checks?
The student shares the teacher’s fate. The servant shares the master’s fate.
I’ve read around the internet, “We belong to each other,” and honestly, we do–we’re all part of the family of God, we’re all part of the Body of Christ; when one member suffers, we all suffer.
Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, call fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
Gosh, these reminders, from the Word of God no less, about His constant care, attention, and watchfulness are so reassuring–especially when it seems like I’m not being heard.
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it.
Oof! Pretty powerful, clear, and hard words coming from these verses. I have a note beside these verses that I wrote in 2021. This was about a week after our fireplace had exploded and shortly after that, I had lost my sense of taste and smell. At first, I had thought it was because the fireplace had exploded my face but as time went on, I began to wonder if I had a virus. I wrote, “Don’t worry!” And also my 2021 word for the year, Live.
Stand firm for what you know, and be a person of your word.
This note came from Sirach, one of my favorite books of the Bible. I encourage you, even if you’re not Catholic to read the Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus. Even Martin Luther thought the book was of value to be read. he just didn’t include it in his translation of the Bible–well he did, in the back of the Bible, but he eventually moved the Book of Sirach and the other Apocraphyl Books completely out of the Bible.
I wrote next to “Stand firm,” 2018 steady–that was my one word for 2018.
Be quick to hear and slow to answer.
See the cross-reference in the Book of James.
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