Celtic Daily Reading (March 9)

[Celtic Daily]

9 March

Feast Day: St. Bosa of York, St. Constantine of Scotland

Theme: Authority

+ 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 101:
A Psalm of David. I will sing of loyalty and of justice; to thee, O
LORD, I will sing. I will give heed to the way that is blameless. Oh
when wilt thou come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my
house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is base. I hate the
work of those who fall away; it shall not cleave to me. Perverseness of
heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Him who
slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. The man of haughty looks
and arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the
faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the
way that is blameless shall minister to me. No man who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house; no man who utters lies shall continue in my
presence. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said,
"Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king
over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD
said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall
be prince over Israel.'" So all the elders of Israel came to the king at
Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the
LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he
reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he
reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. And the king and
his men went to Jerusalem against the Jeb'usites, the inhabitants of the
land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and
the lame will ward you off"--thinking, "David cannot come in here."
Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of
David. And David said on that day, "Whoever would smite the Jeb'usites,
let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, who are
hated by David's soul." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame
shall not come into the house." And David dwelt in the stronghold, and
called it the city of David. And David built the city round about from
the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the LORD,
the God of hosts, was with him. And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers
to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a
house. And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over
Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people
Israel. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after
he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. And
these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem:
Sham'mu-a, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Eli'shu-a, Nepheg, Japhi'a,
Eli'shama, Eli'ada, and Eliph'elet. When the Philistines heard that
David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in
search of David; but David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Reph'aim.
And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up against the Philistines?
Wilt thou give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up;
for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." And David
came to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The
LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a bursting flood."
Therefore the name of that place is called Ba'al-pera'zim. And the
Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them
away. And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread out in the
valley of Reph'aim. And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, "You
shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite
the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of
the balsam trees, then bestir yourself; for then the LORD has gone out
before you to smite the army of the Philistines." And David did as the
LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
Meditation:
Auctoritas is the Latin origin of English "authority". Auctor (which
also gives us English "author") is derived from Latin augeo ("to
augment"): Auctor in the sense of "author", comes from auctor as founder
or, one might say, "planter-cultivator". Similarly, auctoritas refers to
rightful ownership. Politically, auctoritas referred to the Roman
Senate's authority, as opposed to power--potestas or imperium, which
were held by the magistrates or the people. Auctoritas is thus the
juridical power to authorize some other act--in and of itself, it has no
sense.
New Testament: Matthew 7:13-29
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy,
that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the
gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who
find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their
fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So,
every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A
sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. "Not every one who says
to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does
the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in
your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I
declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'
"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like
a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not
fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears
these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who
built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great
was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had
authority, and not as their scribes.
Closing Prayer:

Calm me, O Lord, as You stilled the storm.
Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease.
Enfold me, Lord, in Your peace.

* Father, bless the work that is done,
and the work that is to be.

* Father, bless the servant that I am,
and the servant that I will be.



Sent out at approximately midnight G.M.T.

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