Posts Tagged ‘repent and be saved’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: August 1, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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God our Father fashioned us in His likeness and image and each every one of us are a unique Masterpiece in His eyes, truly loved by Him.

If we should get distorted or spoilt by sin and our sinful ways, we are not discarded or abandoned. Through our repentance, we are moulded back into shape by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must be mindful that this only lasts when we are still alive and are able to repent of our sins. What if tomorrow never comes for us? Are we ready to meet our Lord?

To be ready let us fill our days with His Word both the old and the new! For Heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away. Matt 24:35

Your Word and Will be done in my life Lord. Amen

Saint Alphonsus Mary de’ Liguori, pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 18:1-6


When the clay goes wrong, the potter starts afresh

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’


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Gospel
Matthew 13:47-53


The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
    ‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’
    When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: July 23, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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From the prophet Micah we are reminded of the nature of our loving and merciful Abba in Heaven. Who sent His Son our Lord to save us through repentance of our sins.

His loving grace is upon us transforming us from within. Such that we are welcomed back into God our Father’s family. His beloved children. Jesus stretches out His hand towards us so that we are tenderly embraced. How can we not seek to do God our Father’s will.

Your will be done Father. Amen

Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us…  

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First reading
Micah 7:14-15,18-20 ·


Have pity on us one more time


With shepherd’s crook, O Lord, lead your people to pasture,
the flock that is your heritage,
living confined in a forest
with meadow land all around.
Let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of Egypt grant us to see wonders.

What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?
Once more have pity on us, tread down our faults, to the bottom of the sea throw all our sins.
Grant Jacob your faithfulness, and Abraham your mercy, as you swore to our fathers from the days of long ago.



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Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50


My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: July 16, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Why seek human assurances and alliances when the Lord our God had reassured us of His protection and providence? Why compromise on our faith, integrity, our loyalty to our one true and ever living God?

Can we truly pledge our allegiance to the our Lord God and yet carry talismans, charms and all sorts of items for our protection or that of others? Make no mistake this is idolatry! Let us repent of our sins and follow after Him.

For when we walk in His presence there is nothing we shall want or need. For He guides us along the right paths. His rod and His staff, they comfort us. His goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel pray for us…

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First reading
Isaiah 7:1-9 ·


Isaiah tells the king not to fear

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.
    The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear, do not let your heart sink
because of these two smouldering stumps of fire brands,or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have plotted to ruin you, and have said:
Let us invade Judah and terrorise it and seize it for ourselves, and set up a king there, the son of Tabeel.
The Lord says this:
It shall not come true; it shall not be.
The capital of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus, Razon;
the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,
the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.
Six or five years more and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people. But if you do not stand by me, you will not stand at all.”’


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Gospel
Matthew 11:20-24


It will not go as hard with Sodom on Judgement Day as with you

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.
    ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted as high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell. For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing yet. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom on Judgement day as with you.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: July 2, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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No one can really claim ignorance of wrong doing or sin. For His laws are written on our hearts and if we love Him and are striving to follow after Him; our conscience will sound alarms. Even the Holy Spirit will highlight to us areas in our lives in need of purification. Even if our conscience is already dulled through sin, He will send us prophets to remind us. We should do well to listen!

For Jesus, Lord of the sky and sea, of all that is living; through the great love and mercy of God our Heavenly Father wills that we should not perish by our sins. That by repenting and believing in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we shall have salvation through Him.

No storms of life! No turbulent times! Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen (RM 8:35, 37-39)

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First reading
Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12


It is for all your sins that I mean to punish you

Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:

You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,
therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.
Do two men take the road together if they have not planned to do so?
Does the lion roar in the jungle
if no prey has been found?
Does the young lion growl in his lair if he has captured nothing?
Does the bird fall to the ground
if no trap has been set?
Does the snare spring up from the ground if nothing has been caught?
Does the trumpet sound in the city without the populace becoming alarmed?
Does misfortune come to a city
if the Lord has not sent it?
No more does the Lord do anything without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.
The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?
The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze; and yet you never came back to me.
It is the Lord who speaks.

This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you, and because I am going to do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God!



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Gospel
Matthew 8:23-27


Jesus rebuked the winds and the seas, and all was calm

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’