Be filled with God's light

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Devotions: Ps 45, 47, 48; Sirach 24:1-12; Rev 11:14-19; Lk 11:27-36

I praise the divine King: fairest of men, overflowing with grace, girded with might and awesome power: ride forth in victory, Lord; Your throne endures forever and God has anointed You with the oil of gladness. Your beautiful bride awaits you, decked with gold. Let all the peoples praise You forever! Let us clap and shout in joy to the Lord, the Most High, terrible and mighty, King over all the earth. Sing praises to our God and King; exalt Him with highest praise. Let God's holy city come down from heaven; let all the earth turn to Mt. Zion, God's footstool, in awe and praise. YHWH, we have meditated on Your steadfast love: this is our God, our Guide, for ever and ever.

Wisdom is entrhoned amid her people; she comes forth from the mouth of the Most High; she has circled highest heaven and probed the depths of the abyss. She is at home throughout all the creation. God has lodged her amid Jacob; Israel is her homeland. She is the Portion of God's holy people.

In John's vision, the third woe unfolds. The seventh angel blows his trumpet; loud voices in heaven declare, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed; and He shall reign forever and ever.!' The twenty-four elders fell facedown and worshiped God, saying 'We thank You, Lord God Almighty, Who is and Wast, that You have taken Your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but Your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding Your servants, prophets, saints and all who fear Your name, both great and small, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.' God's temple in heaven was opened, and within was seen the ark of His covenant; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Jesus had taught about the Holy Spirit; and a woman among the hearers spoke: 'Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts that fed You.' But Jesus said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear and keep God's word!' The crowds continued to grow, and Jesus said, 'This is an evil generation! It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given except that of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign for this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with those of this generation, and she will condemn them; for she journeyed from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here before you! The men of Nineveh will arise in the judgment with those of this generation and condemn them, because they repented at Jonah's preaching, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here before you. No one lights a lamp and then puts it in a cellar or under a basket—no, they put it on a stand, so those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; but when your eye is unsound, your body is full of darkness. So be careful, lest the light in you be darkness. If, then, your whole body is full of light, having no darkness in any part, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.'