Khi đọc qua chương Kinh Thánh này, bất cứ khi nào Đức Chúa Trời nói cụm từ này với Giô-suê, Ngài luôn củng cố nó với những lý do để khích lệ Giô-suê hãy trở nên mạnh mẽ:

• Trong câu 6, Đức Chúa Trời nhắc nhở Giô-suê về những lời hứa mà ông có thể tin tưởng
• Trong câu 7-8 Ngài hướng Giô-suê đến quyển Sách Luật-pháp và căn dặn ông hãy dùng đó như một cuốn sách hướng dẫn
• Trong câu 9 Ngài đảm bảo với Giô-suê về sự hiện diện của Ngài.

Tuesday 12th October 2021, in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time.

Why did Paul say: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel." Because the Gospel was so new at the time and has not become socially acceptable. Mind you Jesus was officially condemned to death and crucified naked like a criminal. It takes guts to be associated with such a fellow.

The Gospel or Good News is Jesus and vice versa.
These people were not ashamed of the poverty, nakedness and crime imputation to Jesus:
#1. Mary stood under the Cross for hours.
#2. The 3 Magi from the East saw the new born King of the world under abject poverty and were not ashamed to bow down and worship Him.
#3. The holy elderly prophet and prophetess Simeon and Anna were witnesses to the truth that Mary and Joseph made an offering of the poor for Jesus.

Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Do you see it as power? Three things that might indicate that you are ashamed of the Gospel:

#1. Missing Mass on Sunday.
#2. Making light of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
#3. Ashamed to say the grace before meal in a restaurant.

"Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luke 9: 26).

"When you bring to your Mass all that you have experienced—your whole life story—you allow Me to redeem those things that are most dark, bitter, and painful by taking them into the mystery of My sacrifice. Come to the altar with your sins, even with those of which you are most ashamed, and I shall show you that I have already taken them upon Myself and expiated them in My Blood." (IN SINU JESU, Thursday, January 28, 2016).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

"You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2: 1... 11).

Wednesday 13th October 2021, in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time.

The first Reading from Romans deals with harsh, ignorant and hypocritical judgements.

Let us stop judging the so-called public sinners. God shows no partiality.
If you commit abortion,
If you commit fornication or adultery,
If you cheat on your taxes,
If you haul racial insults on your neighbor,
God shows no partiality in dealing with you. He who breaks one law has broken all the laws. (James 2: 10).
So stop judging that you may not be judged harshly.

"If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel." (Psalm 130: 3 - 4).

"The blessing of the priest is a great means by which good is made to triumph over evil, love over hatred, and mercy over judgment. Similarly, the blessing given with the relics of My saints pleases Me much. I am glorified in My saints, and I pass through them to distribute the riches of My Heart in the universe of souls." (IN SINU JESU, Wednesday, October 10, 2007).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

"You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2: 1... 11).

Wednesday 13th October 2021, in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time.

The first Reading from Romans deals with harsh, ignorant and hypocritical judgements.

Let us stop judging the so-called public sinners. God shows no partiality.
If you commit abortion,
If you commit fornication or adultery,
If you cheat on your taxes,
If you haul racial insults on your neighbor,
God shows no partiality in dealing with you. He who breaks one law has broken all the laws. (James 2: 10).
So stop judging that you may not be judged harshly.

"If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel." (Psalm 130: 3 - 4).

"The blessing of the priest is a great means by which good is made to triumph over evil, love over hatred, and mercy over judgment. Similarly, the blessing given with the relics of My saints pleases Me much. I am glorified in My saints, and I pass through them to distribute the riches of My Heart in the universe of souls." (IN SINU JESU, Wednesday, October 10, 2007).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com

Monday 11th October 2021, in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, is the feast of Pope St John XXIII. (1881 - 1963). Italian. Pontiff.
Pope St John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council which transformed the Church. He wrote the popular encyclical Pacem in Terris. He was a humble and well beloved Pope and was popularly called the Good Pope. I like very much this quote below him:

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but what is still possible for you to do." (Pope St John XXIII).

The Church starts reading the Letter to the Romans today. We draw our key Scripture from Romans 1: 1 - 7.  Paul was not boasting when he said that he was called and set apart to preach the Good News to the nations. One prerequisite for greatness is to know and believe that you are unique and irrepeatable not just in your DNA but in your Mission DNA.
Everyone has a unique and special purpose. Because of Paul's special charism, Jesus Himself reveals Paul's special mission:
"But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites." (Acts 9: 15).

Do you know your purpose on earth? The excitement that St Paul felt throughout his ministry came from his knowledge of his purpose. Paul knew what he was doing and why he was doing it.
How do you find out your purpose in life? There are many books on how to do this. Most are in the area of self-development psychology.
If you really want to find out your purpose on earth, JUST ASK GOD.
"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7: 7 NLT).
This is THE PROMISE FROM GOD. JESUS KEEPS HIS PROMISES AS GOD.

"Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

"If there are so few priests in certain places, it is above all because those that are there have forsaken Me in the Sacrament of My love and no longer live in My friendship. Let every priest present himself as a friend of Jesus, and his ministry will soon take on the efficacy and fruitfulness that characterized that of Saint John, of Saint Paul, and of My first apostles. The friend speaks with the authority that only experience can confer." (IN SINU JESU, March 30, 2008 Sunday of Divine Mercy).

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirstcommunity.com