Maoni yangu binafsi juu ya masuala mbalimbali yanayoendelea duniani

Maoni yangu binafsi juu ya masuala mbalimbali yanayoendelea duniani

Ninaamini 🙏
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Mon, Feb 26, 2024
Monday of the Second Week in Lent

Reading 1 - Dn 9:4b-10

"Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets."



Responsorial Psalm - Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13

R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.



Verse Before the Gospel - See Jn 6:63c, 68c

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.



Gospel - Lk 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."



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Morning Reflection (QT)
Introduction
Problems caused by neighboring people halted the rebuilding of the Temple from 535 to 520 B.C. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah persuade the people to start again, but authority to begin rebuilding is challenged. The rebuilding of the Temple took place during the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia (522 – 486 B.C.).
Reflection
In today’s reading, who challenged the work of rebuilding the Temple? What did they do? In the report that was sent to Emperor Darius, what had the leaders of the people said when questioned about who had given them authority to rebuild and equip the Temple (verses 11-16)? How did the initiators of the challenge conclude their report (verse 17)?
Pray
Mighty God of heaven and earth, I am your servant and seek to follow your teachings day by day. May my words and actions be pleasing in your sight.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Ezra 4:24-5:17
Ezra 4:24
As a result, work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased. This interruption lasted until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
Ezra 5:1
Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo, began to prophesy to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.
Ezra 5:2
Thereupon Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, began again to build the house of God in Jerusalem, with the prophets of God giving them support.
Ezra 5:3
At that time Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, came to them, along with Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials, and asked of them: “Who issued the decree for you to build this house and complete this edifice?
Ezra 5:4
What are the names of the men who are building this structure?”
Ezra 5:5
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they were not delayed during the time a report went to Darius and a written order came back concerning this matter.
Ezra 5:6
A copy of the letter which Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, along with Shethar-bozenai and their fellow officials from West-of-Euphrates, sent to King Darius;
Ezra 5:7
they sent him a report in which was written the following: “To King Darius, all good wishes!
Ezra 5:8
Let it be known to the king that we have visited the province of Judah and the house of the great God: it is being rebuilt of cut stone and the walls are being reinforced with timber; the work is being carried out diligently, prospering under their hands.
Ezra 5:9
We then questioned the elders, addressing to them the following words: ‘Who issued the decree for you to build this house and complete this edifice?’
Ezra 5:10
We also asked them their names, in order to give you a list of the men who are their leaders.
Ezra 5:11
This was their answer to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house built here many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.
Ezra 5:12
But because our ancestors provoked the wrath of the God of heaven, he delivered them into the power of the Chaldean, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who destroyed this house and exiled the people to Babylon.
Ezra 5:13
However, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree for the rebuilding of this house of God.
Ezra 5:14
Moreover, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried off to the temple in Babylon, King Cyrus ordered to be removed from the temple in Babylon, and they were given to a certain Sheshbazzar, whom he named governor.
Ezra 5:15
He commanded him: Take these vessels and deposit them in the temple of Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its former site.
Ezra 5:16
Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. Since that time to the present the building has been going on, and is not yet completed.’
Ezra 5:17
Now, if it please the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether a decree really was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And may the king’s decision in this matter be communicated to us.”

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Evening Reflection (QT)
Introduction
In today’s reading, Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s promises as long as they honor God and worship only him. But he also warns the people of the consequences of disobedience.
Reflection
What are the people promised if they obey God (verses 10-12, 17-19)? What warnings are they given if they are disobedient (verses 13-16)? What are parents to say to their children when questioned about obeying God’s laws (verses 20-25)? Within your community of faith, are stories of God’s saving acts repeated and taught to each succeeding generation?
Pray
Almighty God, help me to remember your laws and keep them foremost in my mind. Teach me to be obedient to your will, and may I never forget your steadfast love and saving acts.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Deuteronomy 6:10-25
Deuteronomy 6:10
When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,
Deuteronomy 6:11
with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat and are satisfied,
Deuteronomy 6:12
be careful not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that house of slavery.
Deuteronomy 6:13
The LORD, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.
Deuteronomy 6:14
You shall not go after other gods, any of the gods of the surrounding peoples—
Deuteronomy 6:15
for the LORD, your God who is in your midst, is a passionate God—lest the anger of the LORD, your God, flare up against you and he destroy you from upon the land.
Deuteronomy 6:16
You shall not put the LORD, your God, to the test, as you did at Massah.
Deuteronomy 6:17
But keep the commandments of the LORD, your God, and the decrees and the statutes he has commanded you.
Deuteronomy 6:18
Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and you may enter in and possess the good land which the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors,
Deuteronomy 6:19
driving all your enemies out of your way, as the LORD has promised.
Deuteronomy 6:20
Later on, when your son asks you, “What do these decrees and statutes and ordinances mean?” which the LORD, our God, has enjoined on you,
Deuteronomy 6:21
you shall say to your son, “We were once slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand
Deuteronomy 6:22
and wrought before our eyes signs and wonders, great and dire, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and his whole house.
Deuteronomy 6:23
He brought us from there to bring us in and give us the land he had promised on oath to our ancestors.
Deuteronomy 6:24
The LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes in fear of the LORD, our God, that we may always have as good a life as we have today.
Deuteronomy 6:25
This is our justice before the LORD, our God: to observe carefully this whole commandment he has enjoined on us.”

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Daily Mass
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R. (19b)
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R.
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Verse Before the Gospel
Jl 2:12-13
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart
for I am gracious and merciful.
Reading I
Jon 3:1-10
Jonah 3:1
The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
Jonah 3:2
Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.
Jonah 3:3
So Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it.
Jonah 3:4
Jonah began his journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,”
Jonah 3:5
the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
Jonah 3:6
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
Jonah 3:7
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles, no man or beast, no cattle or sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Jonah 3:8
Man and beast alike must be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; they all must turn from their evil way and from the violence of their hands.
Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we will not perish.”
Jonah 3:10
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
Gospel
Lk 11:29-32
Luke 11:29
While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Luke 11:30
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
Luke 11:31
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
Luke 11:32
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

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Daily Mass
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
R. (3a)
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R.
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R.
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 51:12a, 14a
A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation.
Reading I
Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Esther 4:17
Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded.
Gospel
Mt 7:7-12
Matthew 7:7
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:9
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,
Matthew 7:10
or a snake when he asks for a fish?
Matthew 7:11
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:12
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.

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Evening Reflection (QT)

Introduction

In response to a request from one of the disciples, Jesus teaches his followers to pray. He reveals the fatherhood of God to his disciples and the limitless capacity of God’s love, faithfulness, generosity, compassion, and care.

Reflection

You may wish to compare Luke’s version of the prayer that Jesus taught (verses 2-4) with the version in Matthew’s Gospel (6:9-13). What similarities can you find? What differences can you identify? What does today’s reading teach you about prayer? What does it teach you about God? Is there something you need to ask of God today?

Pray

Lord God, may your holy name be honored, and may your Kingdom come. You only desire what is good for us, and today I come seeking and knocking on your heavenly door, humbly asking for _________________________. I thank and praise you for your goodness, steadfast love, and mercy.



In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1

He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

Luke 11:2

He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.

Luke 11:3

Give us each day our daily bread

Luke 11:4

and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

Luke 11:5

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

Luke 11:6

for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’

Luke 11:7

and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’

Luke 11:8

I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

Luke 11:9

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Luke 11:10

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:11

What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?

Luke 11:12

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

Luke 11:13

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”



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Fri, Mar 1, 2024

Friday of the Second Week of Lent



Reading 1 - Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a



Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,

for he was the child of his old age;

and he had made him a long tunic.

When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,

they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.



One day, when his brothers had gone

to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem,

Israel said to Joseph,

"Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.

Get ready; I will send you to them."



So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.

They noticed him from a distance,

and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.

They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer!

Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;

we could say that a wild beast devoured him.

We shall then see what comes of his dreams."



When Reuben heard this,

he tried to save him from their hands, saying,

"We must not take his life.

Instead of shedding blood," he continued,

"just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;

but do not kill him outright."

His purpose was to rescue him from their hands

and return him to his father.

So when Joseph came up to them,

they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;

then they took him and threw him into the cistern,

which was empty and dry.



They then sat down to their meal.

Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,

their camels laden with gum, balm and resin

to be taken down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers:

"What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?

Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,

instead of doing away with him ourselves.

After all, he is our brother, our own flesh."

His brothers agreed.

They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.







Responsorial Psalm - Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21



R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

When the LORD called down a famine on the land

and ruined the crop that sustained them,

He sent a man before them,

Joseph, sold as a slave.

R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

They had weighed him down with fetters,

and he was bound with chains,

Till his prediction came to pass

and the word of the LORD proved him true.

R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

The king sent and released him,

the ruler of the peoples set him free.

He made him lord of his house

and ruler of all his possessions.

R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.







Verse Before the Gospel - Jn 3:16



God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.







Gospel - Mt 21:33-43, 45-46



Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

"Hear another parable.

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,

put a hedge around it,

dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.

When vintage time drew near,

he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.

But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,

another they killed, and a third they stoned.

Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,

but they treated them in the same way.

Finally, he sent his son to them,

thinking, 'They will respect my son.'

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,

'This is the heir.

Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'

They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him,

"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death

and lease his vineyard to other tenants

who will give him the produce at the proper times."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never
 
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