Our Lady of Angels Association

by Michael January 7, 2013

After three years, I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas and remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord. (As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying). Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. So they glorified God because of me.

Listen, God, to my prayer; do not hide from my pleading; hear me and give answer. I rock with grief; I groan at the uproar of the enemy, the clamor of the wicked. They heap trouble upon me, savagely accuse me. But I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I will grieve and complain, and my prayer will be heard. God will give me freedom and peace from those who war against me, though there are many who oppose me.

Psalm 55:2-4; 17-19

Like Mount Zion are they who trust in the Lord, unshakable, forever enduring. As mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds his people both now and forever. The scepter of the wicked will not prevail in the land given to the just, lest the just themselves turn their hands to evil. Do good, Lord, to the good, to those who are upright of heart. But those who turn aside to crooked ways may the Lord send them down with the wicked. Peace upon Israel.

Psalm 125

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them. To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me: “You relied on the Lord – let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you.”

Psalm 22:2-9

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” There deeds are loathsome and corrupt; not one does what is right. God looks down from heaven upon the human race, to see if even one is wise, if even one seeks God. All have gone astray; all alike are perverse. Not one does what is right, not even one. Will these evildoers never learn? They devour my people as they devour bread; they do not call upon God. They have good reason to fear, though now they do not fear. For God will certainly scatter the bones of the godless. They will surely be put to shame, for God has rejected them.

Psalm 53:2-7

Malicious witnesses come forward, accuse me of things I do not know. They repay me evil for good and I am all alone. Yet I, when they were ill, put on sack-cloth, afflicted myself with fasting, sobbed my prayers upon my bosom. I went about in grief as for my brother, bent in mourning as for my mother. Yet when I stumbled they gathered with glee; they gathered against me like strangers. They slandered me without ceasing; without respect they mocked me, gnashed their teeth against me.

Psalm 35 continued – verses 11-16

Look at my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your teaching. Take up my cause and redeem me; for the sake of your promise give me life. Salvation is far from sinners because they do not cherish your laws. Your compassion is great, O Lord; in accord with your edicts give me life. Though my persecutors and foes are many, I do not turn from your decrees. I view the faithless with loathing, because they do not heed your promise. See how I love your precepts, Lord; in your kindness give me life. Your every word is enduring; all your just edicts are forever.

Psalm 119 continued – verses 153-160

Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. My life is worn out by sorrow, my years by sighing. My strength fails in affliction; my bones are consumed. To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, a horror to my friends. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness. Do not let me be put to shame, for I have called to you, Lord.

Psalm 31 continued – verses 10-12, 15-18

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

Ephesians 2:4-11

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name give glory because of your faithfulness and love. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; whatever God wills is done. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell. They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk, and no sound rises from their throats. Their makers shall be like them, all who trust in them.

Psalm 115:1-8

Because of this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles – if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Ephesians 3:1-6