striving to radiate Him always
…Lord Jesus, give us the faith to become a harvest for You so that You may continue through us to give life to men. May our minds be filled with you, the pledge of our future glory. Amen
~ Closing prayer of the Thursday litany taken from the LMC Prayer Book.– Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
this was the first year that the little’s were able to stay up until midnight. I don’t know how super baby managed but he did.
Dad and I continued our New Year’s tradition. Dad holds a family session. He leads spiritual reflections. It includes a spiritual progress report and a spiritual goal setting session. Dad leads and each family member takes a turn sharing. Everyone has a chance to voice their own report, offer their gift to Jesus, and to "evaluate" one another. All ages participate. I record the responses. In the past, I have video recorded the sessions. We all love to hear and see our growth over the year.
Dad is responsible for checking in with our goals. He usually does this sporadically (throughout the year) on family nights.
This year, our tradition almost got put off. Dad and I were invited to a New Year’s Eve party. It was tempting for us since the tickets were free and we desired some adult time. After some discernment, we opted to keep our tradition of bringing in the New Year with family. We give thanks and praise to the Good Lord for leading us home. We trust that He is calling us, now more than ever, to resign more fully to our home and family. We pray that we will be given the graces, this year, to see what other activities are hindering us in fully preparing our family for His call, and that we move promptly to become right ordered.
"How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?" (Ps. 116:12)
~~~
In addition to New Year’s Family session, Dad has started a new tradition—tamale making. He grew up making tamales in his home every Christmas. He’s only made them once on his own. He and my dad rallied together. It was a day full of family fun in the kitchen. Grandma, Nana & Papa, aunts and uncles, and cousins all pitched a hand. We made over 30 dozen pork, chicken, and green chili and cheese tamales. Craziness is what it was.
Day 9 Psalms 105 — 117
Psalms 105
1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works!
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wonderful works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
Father, how could such a great God as You adopt me?
1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or show forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
4 Remember me, O LORD, when thou showest favor to thy people; help me when thou deliverest them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of thy chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thy heritage.
6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider thy wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of thy steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the power of the enemy.
11And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
17the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abi’ram.
18Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image.
20They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea.
23Therefore he said he would destroy them — had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
24Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
25They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27and would disperse their descendants among the nations, scattering them over the lands.
28Then they attached themselves to the Ba’al of Pe’or, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29they provoked the LORD to anger with their doings, and a plague broke out among them.
30Then Phin’ehas stood up and interposed, and the plague was stayed.
31And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation for ever.
32They angered him at the waters of Mer’ibah, and it went ill with Moses on their account;
33for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke words that were rash.
34They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,
35but they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.
36They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;
38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.
39Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the harlot in their doings.
40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;
41he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.
44Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.
45He remembered for their sake his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.
47Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise.
48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Father, thank You for forgiving me repeatedly.
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
7 he led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!
9 For he satisfies him who is thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.
10Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.
13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
14he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder.
15Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!
16For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
20he sent forth his word, and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.
21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!
22And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
23Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters;
24they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.
25For he commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27they reeled and staggered like drunken men, and were at their wits’ end.
28Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
29he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
31Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!
32Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
34a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
36And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in;
37they sow fields, and plant vineyards, and get a fruitful yield.
38By his blessing they multiply greatly; and he does not let their cattle decrease.
39When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40he pours contempt upon princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41but he raises up the needy out of affliction, and makes their families like flocks.
42The upright see it and are glad; and all wickedness stops its mouth.
43Whoever is wise, let him give heed to these things; let men consider the steadfast love of the LORD. ————————————————————————
Father, thank You for the changes Jesus has made in my life.
A Song. A Psalm of David.
1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my soul!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to thee, O LORD, among the peoples, I will sing praises to thee among the nations.
4 For thy steadfast love is great above the heavens, thy faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth!
6 That thy beloved may be delivered, give help by thy right hand, and answer me!
7 God has promised in his sanctuary: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manas’seh is mine; E’phraim is my helmet; Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph."
10Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
11Hast thou not rejected us, O God? Thou dost not go forth, O God, with our armies.
12O grant us help against the foe, for vain is the help of man!
13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. ————————————————————————
Father, may my joy rise to fever pitch (Acts 8:8).
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 Be not silent, O God of my praise!
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for them.
5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser bring him to trial.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few; may another seize his goods!
9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
10May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit!
11May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
15Let them be before the LORD continually; and may his memory be cut off from the earth!
16For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
17He loved to curse; let curses come on him! He did not like blessing; may it be far from him!
18He clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!
19May it be like a garment which he wraps round him, like a belt with which he daily girds himself!
20May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life!
21But thou, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for thy name’s sake; because thy steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.
23I am gone, like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt.
25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads.
26Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to thy steadfast love!
27Let them know that this is thy hand; thou, O LORD, hast done it!
28Let them curse, but do thou bless! Let my assailants be put to shame; may thy servant be glad!
29May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle!
30With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
31For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn him to death. ————————————————————————
Father, I would be forever under the curse of sin and the law if not for You. I thank You.
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool."
2 The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz’edek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. ————————————————————————
Jesus, I adore You and give my life totally to You.
1 Praise the LORD. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who have pleasure in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy,
8 they are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and terrible is his name!
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever! ————————————————————————
Father, may Your praises be ever in my mouth (Ps 34:2).
1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the LORD is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered for ever.
7 He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is steady, he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever; his horn is exalted in honor.
10The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked man comes to nought. ————————————————————————
Father, what a joy it is to live for You!
1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!
4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Jesus, I praise You not only for helping the poor but becoming a poor Man through Your incarnation (2 Cor 8:9).
1 When Israel went forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled, Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water. ————————————————————————
Father, give me a youthful joy.
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
10O house of Aaron, put your trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
12The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13he will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.
14May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!
15May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth!
16The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.
17The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence.
18But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Father, as a people we praise You as Father of the family.
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech thee, save my life!"
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted";
11 I said in my consternation, "Men are all a vain hope."
12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Father, thank You for the privilege of giving my life for You.
1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Father, may I reach out in evangelism and intercession to the billions of people who have not heard of Your love.
Day 8 Psalms 92 — 104
Psalms 92
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to thy name, O Most High;
2 to declare thy steadfast love in the morning, and thy faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by thy work; at the works of thy hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are thy works, O LORD! Thy thoughts are very deep!
6 The dull man cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this:
Father, may I obey the third commandment.
1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
2 thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!
5 Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O LORD, for evermore. ————————————————————————
Father, I will trust in You.
1 O LORD, thou God of vengeance, thou God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; render to the proud their deserts!
3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words, they boast, all the evildoers.
5 They crush thy people, O LORD, and afflict thy heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;
7 and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."
8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10He who chastens the nations, does he not chastise? He who teaches men knowledge,
11the LORD, knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
12Blessed is the man whom thou dost chasten, O LORD, and whom thou dost teach out of thy law
13to give him respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
15for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18When I thought, "My foot slips," thy steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19When the cares of my heart are many, thy consolations cheer my soul.
20Can wicked rulers be allied with thee, who frame mischief by statute?
21They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death.
22But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
23He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out. ————————————————————————
Father, may I hold onto my faith.
1 O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it; for his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would hearken to his voice!
8 Harden not your hearts, as at Mer’ibah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who err in heart, and they do not regard my ways."
11Therefore I swore in my anger that they should not enter my rest. ————————————————————————
Father, may I praise, thank, and pray to You always.
1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in holy array; tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yea, the world is established, it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity."
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
13before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. ————————————————————————
Father, make praise be the atmosphere I live in.
1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of thy judgments, O God.
9 For thou, O LORD, art most high over all the earth; thou art exalted far above all gods.
10The LORD loves those who hate evil; he preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! ————————————————————————
Father, may I be ready for Jesus to come at any moment.
A Psalm.
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. ————————————————————————
Father may I praise You with abandon.
1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name! Holy is he!
4 Mighty King, lover of justice, thou hast established equity; thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies, and the statutes that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, thou didst answer them; thou wast a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! ————————————————————————
Father, may I frequently praise You for extended periods of time.
A Psalm for the thank offering.
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations. ————————————————————————
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
A Psalm of David.
1 I will sing of loyalty and of justice; to thee, O LORD, I will sing.
2 I will give heed to the way that is blameless. Oh when wilt thou come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is base. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cleave to me.
4 Perverseness of heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.
5 Him who slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. The man of haughty looks and arrogant heart I will not endure.
6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.
7 No man who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no man who utters lies shall continue in my presence.
8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD. ————————————————————————
"I will persevere in the way of integrity." —101:2
A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD.
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to thee!
2 Do not hide thy face from me in the day of my distress! Incline thy ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3 For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a vulture of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places;
7 I lie awake, I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me, those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink,
10because of thy indignation and anger; for thou hast taken me up and thrown me away.
11My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
12But thou, O LORD, art enthroned for ever; thy name endures to all generations.
13Thou wilt arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.
14For thy servants hold her stones dear, and have pity on her dust.
15The nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16For the LORD will build up Zion, he will appear in his glory;
17he will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their supplication.
18Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD:
19that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die;
21that men may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,
22when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
23He has broken my strength in mid-course; he has shortened my days.
24"O my God," I say, "take me not hence in the midst of my days, thou whose years endure throughout all generations!"
25Of old thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26They will perish, but thou dost endure; they will all wear out like a garment. Thou changest them like raiment, and they pass away;
27but thou art the same, and thy years have no end.
28The children of thy servants shall dwell secure; their posterity shall be established before thee. ————————————————————————
Lord, have mercy.
A Psalm of David.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him.
14For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word!
21Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!
22Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! ————————————————————————
May all my being bless His holy name — my mind, spirit, body, emotions, will, sexuality, possessions, family, work, friendships.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty,
2 who coverest thyself with light as with a garment, who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent,
3 who hast laid the beams of thy chambers on the waters, who makest the clouds thy chariot, who ridest on the wings of the wind,
4 who makest the winds thy messengers, fire and flame thy ministers.
5 Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken.
6 Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the sound of thy thunder they took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which thou didst appoint for them.
9 Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.
13 From thy lofty abode thou waterest the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy work.
14 Thou dost cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon which he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the badgers.
19 Thou hast made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they get them away and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, which teems with things innumerable, living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan which thou didst form to sport in it.
27 These all look to thee, to give them their food in due season.
28 When thou givest to them, they gather it up; when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed; when thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure for ever, may the LORD rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! ————————————————————————
Father, may Your creation always bring me joy.
Here is our review of 2011. It consists of top posts and family favs for each month of 2011.
+AMDG+
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
~~~
December
a delightful surprise that was a beautiful consolation to Dad and I.
November
provided a printable for the Christmas Novena that starts on Nov. 30 ands on Christmas Eve.
October
we’ve been reminded, on many levels, that we are pilgrims and this is not our home.
September
a little on consolations, intercession and are time at the beach.
August
I joined a blog hop and shared a peak at my learning space.
July
I’ve enjoyed sharing here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!, {pretty, happy, funny, real}.
June
a 3 day pilgrimage.
May
my baby turned 1!
April
the Holy Triduum in pictures.
March
highlighted my Lenten Cleaning Program and provided some helpful links.
February
You’re Invited to Run for a Cause
team ALL FOR!
January
The Just Person Falls Seven Times a Day
charity litany.
Hi! I'm Lena, mama of JOYfilledfamily.
We are a traditional Catholic family striving to live for Jesus Christ in everything we do. We pray to completely surrender our will to His and to become His servants. Our mission of this blog is to share our JOY.
This blog serves as a journal of us making good memories, living the liturgical year, and our spiritual journey.