Celtic Daily Reading (January 27)
Celtic Daily
Feast Day: St. Natalis of Ireland
Theme: The Good, the bad and the ugly
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Declaration of faith
To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that You are the Holy One of God.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.
Psalm 38:
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. O LORD, rebuke me not in
thy anger, nor chasten me in thy wrath! For thy arrows have sunk into
me, and thy hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh
because of thy indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my
sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden
too heavy for me. My wounds grow foul and fester because of my
foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go
about mourning. For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no
soundness in my flesh. I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because
of the tumult of my heart. Lord, all my longing is known to thee, my
sighing is not hidden from thee. My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
and the light of my eyes--it also has gone from me. My friends and
companions stand aloof from my plague, and my kinsmen stand afar off.
Those who seek my life lay their snares, those who seek my hurt speak of
ruin, and meditate treachery all the day long. But I am like a deaf man,
I do not hear, like a dumb man who does not open his mouth. Yea, I am
like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for
thee, O LORD, do I wait; it is thou, O LORD my God, who wilt answer. For
I pray, "Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my
foot slips!" For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I
confess my iniquity, I am sorry for my sin. Those who are my foes
without cause are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries because I follow
after good. Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
Old Testament: Genesis 18:16-33
Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and
Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The LORD said, "Shall I
hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall
bless themselves by him? No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge
his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by
doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham
what he has promised him." Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry
against Sodom and Gomor'rah is great and their sin is very grave, I will
go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry
which has come to me; and if not, I will know." So the men turned from
there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
Then Abraham drew near, and said, "Wilt thou indeed destroy the
righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the
city; wilt thou then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty
righteous who are in it? Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay
the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!
Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I
will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham answered, "Behold, I
have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and
ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Wilt thou
destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not
destroy it if I find forty-five there." Again he spoke to him, and said,
"Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I
will not do it." Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will
speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it,
if I find thirty there." He said, "Behold, I have taken upon myself to
speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For
the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." Then he said, "Oh let not the
Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are
found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."
And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and
Abraham returned to his place.
Meditation:
When the Spirit makes thin the canvas, we see that the universe is a
creation,
That the worker, because he is a child of God, is a person,
And we see the Christ rising from his cross and Grave like the glory of
The Sun in the ailing snow to light up the seventh Heaven.
-Gwenallt (Tr. Cynthia Davies)
New Testament: Mark 13:2-13
And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not
be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." And
as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James
and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be,
and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?"
And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray.
Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many
astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed;
this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes
in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of
the birth-pangs. "But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you
up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand
before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them.
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. And when they
bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what
you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is
not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver up
brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise
against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all
for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Closing Prayer:
May I speak this day according to Thy justice,
Each day may I show Thy chastening, O God;
May I speak each day according to Thy wisdom,
Each day and night may I be at peace with Thee.
Each day may I cound the causes of Thy mercy,
May I each day give heed to Thy laws;
Each day may I compose to Thee a song,
May I harp each day Thy praise, O God.
May I each day give love to Thee, Jesu,
Each night may I do the same;
Each day and night, dark and light,
May I laud Thy goodness to me, O God.
Sent out at approximately midnight G.M.T.
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