Celtic Daily Reading (March 17)

[Celtic Daily]

17 March

Feast Day: St.Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland, St. Joseph of Arimathea,
St. Withburgh of Dereham, St. Llinio of Llandinam

Theme: Ireland becomes a people of the Lord.

+ 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 115:
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake
of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness! (2) Why should the nations
say, "Where is their God?" (3) Our God is in the heavens; he does
whatever he pleases. (4) Their idols are silver and gold, the work of
men's hands. (5) They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not
see. (6) They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
(7) They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they
do not make a sound in their throat. (8) Those who make them are like
them; so are all who trust in them. (9) O Israel, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield. (10) O house of Aaron, put your
trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. (11) You who
fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
(12) The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless
the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; (13) he will
bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great. (14) May the LORD
give you increase, you and your children! (15) May you be blessed by
the LORD, who made heaven and earth! (16) The heavens are the LORD's
heavens, but the earth he has given to the sons of men. (17) The dead
do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence. (18) But
we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the
LORD!

Old Testament:1 Chronicles 29:10-25
Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly;
and David said: "Blessed art thou, O LORD, the God of Israel our father,
for ever and ever. (11) Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the
power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is
in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD,
and thou art exalted as head above all. (12) Both riches and honor
come from thee, and thou rulest over all. In thy hand are power and
might; and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
(13) And now we thank thee, our God, and praise thy glorious name.
(14) "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus
to offer willingly? For all things come from thee, and of thy own have
we given thee. (15) For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners,
as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and
there is no abiding. (16) O LORD our God, all this abundance that we
have provided for building thee a house for thy holy name comes from thy
hand and is all thy own. (17) I know, my God, that thou triest the
heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart
I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen thy people,
who are present here, offering freely and joyously to thee. (18) O
LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep for ever
such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of thy people, and direct their
hearts toward thee. (19) Grant to Solomon my son that with a whole
heart he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes,
performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made
provision." (20) Then David said to all the assembly, "Bless the LORD
your God." And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their
fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD, and did
obeisance to the king. (21) And they performed sacrifices to the LORD,
and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the LORD, a thousand
bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink
offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; (22) and they
ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they
made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed
him as prince for the LORD, and Zadok as priest. (23) Then Solomon sat
on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he
prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. (24) All the leaders and the
mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their
allegiance to King Solomon. (25) And the LORD gave Solomon great
repute in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal
majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

Meditation:

"It was not my grace, but God, victorious in me, who resisted all
opposition when I came to the people of Ireland to preach the Gospel and
to suffer insults from unbelievers. If I should be worthy, I am ready to
give even my life most willingly and unhesitatingly for his Name. I am
bound by the Spirit who witnesses to me. Christ the Lord told me to come
here and stay with the people for the rest of my life, if he so wills,
and he will guard me from every evil that I might not sin before him." -
The Confession of Patrick.
New Testament:Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the
Gentiles also had received the word of God. (2) So when Peter went up
to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, (3) saying, "Why
did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" (4) But Peter
began and explained to them in order: (5) "I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, something descending, like a
great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came down to
me. (6) Looking at it closely I observed animals and beasts of prey
and reptiles and birds of the air. (7) And I heard a voice saying to
me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' (8) But I said, 'No, Lord; for
nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' (9) But the
voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you
must not call common.' (10) This happened three times, and all was
drawn up again into heaven. (11) At that very moment three men arrived
at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesare'a. (12) And the
Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six
brethren also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. (13) And
he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying,
'Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter; (14) he will declare to
you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'
(15) As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at
the beginning. (16) And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he
said, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.' (17) If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us
when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could
withstand God?" (18) When they heard this they were silenced. And they
glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted
repentance unto life."

Closing Prayer:
Troparion of St Patrick Tone 4
Most glorious art Thou, Christ our God
Who didst establish our Father Patrick
as the Enlightener of the Irish and a torch-bearer on earth,
and through him didst guide many to the true Faith.
Most Compassionate One, glory to Thee.



Sent out at approximately midnight G.M.T.

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