Readings for the week of October 12th
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National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually observed from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation's achievements, culture, and history.
Orlando O. Espín is Emeritus Professor of theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego, where he taught for three decades. He earned a dual doctorate in systematic and practical theology at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is among the handful of theologians who began U.S. Latino/a theology, and has specialized in the study of "popular" religions, and in the theological study of culture and tradition. He has written or edited a dozen books, written over 400 articles, won numerous awards, and was awarded an honorary doctorate and an honorary professorship by the Catholic Theological Society of America.The quote today comes from his essay on immigration which was included in the book, Religion and Politics in America’s Borderlands:
“Welcoming the stranger (the “immigrant,” as we would say today) is the most often repeated commandment in the Hebrew Scriptures, with the exception of the imperative to worship only the one God. And the love of neighbor (especially the more vulnerable neighbor) is doubtlessly the New Testament’s constant command… Whatever the cause of immigration today, there can be no doubt as to where the Church must stand when it comes to defending the immigrant.”If you are interested in the anthology from which this quote was taken, please follow this link to the publishing house: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/religion-and-politics-in-americas-borderlands-9780739178638/
If you wish to read more of Dr Espín’s work, follow this link: https://www.allbookstores.com/Orlando-Espin/author
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Israel plants gardens in Babylon
These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
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God holds our souls in life
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name." Selah
Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept us among the living and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs;
you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
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Naaman is cleansed
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from a skin disease.
Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.
She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his skin disease."
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his skin disease? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."
But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel."
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house.
Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean."
But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease!
Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage.
But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?"
So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel."
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The beginning of wisdom
Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
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We will live with Christ
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David--that is my gospel,
for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- he cannot deny himself.
Remind them of this, and warn them before the Lord that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
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The healed leper gives thanks to Jesus
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.
As he entered a village, ten with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance,
they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.
He prostrated himself at Jesus's feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine?
Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?"
Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
