Genuine conversions

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Act 2:14a.36-41

‘For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered, ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Read More

The joy of the resurrection and the shadows of darkness

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Mt 28:8-15

Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. And suddenly, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings,’ he said. And the women came up to him and, clasping his feet, they did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; there they will see me.’ Read More

Thy Kingdom Come!

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Ez 37:21-28

The Lord Yahweh says this: I shall take the Israelites from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them to- gether from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I shall make them into one nation in the country, on the mountains of Israel, and one king is to be king of them all; they will no longer form two nations, nor be two separate kingdoms. Read More

God sees the bowels and the heart

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Jer 20:10-13

I heard so many disparaging me, ‘Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ All those who were on good terms with me watched for my downfall, ‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we shall get the better of him and take our revenge!’ But Yahweh is at my side like a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, vanquished, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs. Read More

Faithfulness to God

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Note: Since today’s Old Testament reading is also very long, we will content ourselves here with a brief summary and highly recommend reading it in its entirety in the 3rd chapter of the Book of Daniel.

Three young Jewish men were commanded by the king to commit idolatry. Those who refused were to find death in the furnace of fire. The three refused, trusting in God. Thrown into the fiery furnace, the king saw four figures walking around unharmed in the fire, for God had sent them an angel to save them. Read More

In God there will always be a solution

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Num 21:4-9

They left Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Suph, to skirt round Edom. On the way the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? For there is neither food nor water here; we are sick of this meagre diet.’ At this, God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. Read More

The story of Susanna

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Because of the length of today´s reading, I’ll give a brief summary:  it tells the story of Susanna, a respectable woman. Two of the elders of Israel tried to seduce her. But she eluded them. Thereupon they brought false charges against her that she had taken up with a young man and threatened her with death. In her distress, Susanna entrusted herself to God. Read More

Jesus and the adulterous woman

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Jn 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in the middle they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and in the Law Moses has ordered us to stone women of this kind. What have you got to say?’ Read More