The Feast of of St Alberto Hurtado SJ | Friday 18 August 2023
Today is Friday 18 August, the feast of St Alberto Hurtado SJ, in the 19th week of Ordinary time.
The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.’
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel;
quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebi suae
Et erexit cornu salutis nobis,
in domo David pueri sui,
Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,
qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius,
Salutem ex inimicis nostris,
et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos;
Ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris,
et memorari testamenti sui sancti,
Iusiurandum, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum,
daturum se nobis,
Ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum liberati,
serviamus illi
In sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso
omnibus diebus nostris.
Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis:
praeibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias eius,
Ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius
n remissionem peccatorum eorum,
Per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri,
in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto,
Illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent,
ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.
Today’s reading is from the Book of Joshua.
Joshua 24: 1 - 13
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness for a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then King Balak, son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand. When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not laboured, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.
Soon after the people of Israel enter the land God had promised them, Joshua sums up their history as a people. He interprets all that has happened over the centuries as the work of God with them. What would your own history sound like, interpreted in this way?
This history has not been easy. It has plagues, battles, curses and destruction. Yet none of this shakes Joshua’s confidence. How far can you say the same of your own trials?
Their entry to the Promised Land is a sign for the people of God’s fidelity to them. What in your own life speaks of God’s fidelity to you?
As you listen to part of this reading again, notice where you are drawn…
Speak, finally, to this God who is always faithful, even when times seem most challenging. What do you need from this same faithful God, and how do you want to respond to the fidelity that God shows you?
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Feast of of St Alberto Hurtado SJ | Friday 18 August 2023
Today is Friday 18 August, the feast of St Alberto Hurtado SJ, in the 19th week of Ordinary time.
The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.’
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel;
quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebi suae
Et erexit cornu salutis nobis,
in domo David pueri sui,
Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,
qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius,
Salutem ex inimicis nostris,
et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos;
Ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris,
et memorari testamenti sui sancti,
Iusiurandum, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum,
daturum se nobis,
Ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum liberati,
serviamus illi
In sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso
omnibus diebus nostris.
Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis:
praeibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias eius,
Ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius
n remissionem peccatorum eorum,
Per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri,
in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto,
Illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent,
ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.
Today’s reading is from the Book of Joshua.
Joshua 24: 1 - 13
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness for a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then King Balak, son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand. When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not laboured, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.
Soon after the people of Israel enter the land God had promised them, Joshua sums up their history as a people. He interprets all that has happened over the centuries as the work of God with them. What would your own history sound like, interpreted in this way?
This history has not been easy. It has plagues, battles, curses and destruction. Yet none of this shakes Joshua’s confidence. How far can you say the same of your own trials?
Their entry to the Promised Land is a sign for the people of God’s fidelity to them. What in your own life speaks of God’s fidelity to you?
As you listen to part of this reading again, notice where you are drawn…
Speak, finally, to this God who is always faithful, even when times seem most challenging. What do you need from this same faithful God, and how do you want to respond to the fidelity that God shows you?
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Feast of of St Alberto Hurtado SJ | Friday 18 August 2023
Today is Friday 18 August, the feast of St Alberto Hurtado SJ, in the 19th week of Ordinary time.
The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.’
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel;
quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebi suae
Et erexit cornu salutis nobis,
in domo David pueri sui,
Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,
qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius,
Salutem ex inimicis nostris,
et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos;
Ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris,
et memorari testamenti sui sancti,
Iusiurandum, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum,
daturum se nobis,
Ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum liberati,
serviamus illi
In sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso
omnibus diebus nostris.
Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis:
praeibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias eius,
Ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius
n remissionem peccatorum eorum,
Per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri,
in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto,
Illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent,
ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.
Today’s reading is from the Book of Joshua.
Joshua 24: 1 - 13
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness for a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then King Balak, son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand. When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not laboured, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.
Soon after the people of Israel enter the land God had promised them, Joshua sums up their history as a people. He interprets all that has happened over the centuries as the work of God with them. What would your own history sound like, interpreted in this way?
This history has not been easy. It has plagues, battles, curses and destruction. Yet none of this shakes Joshua’s confidence. How far can you say the same of your own trials?
Their entry to the Promised Land is a sign for the people of God’s fidelity to them. What in your own life speaks of God’s fidelity to you?
As you listen to part of this reading again, notice where you are drawn…
Speak, finally, to this God who is always faithful, even when times seem most challenging. What do you need from this same faithful God, and how do you want to respond to the fidelity that God shows you?
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.