[ Today's Readings ]
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.
You want to give us life, Jesus.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
But if we hear you voice and yet persist in wickedness we find condemnation.
Do not be amazed at this,
because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs
will hear his voice and will come out,
those who have done good deeds
to the resurrection of life,
but those who have done wicked deeds
to the resurrection of condemnation.
The standard is too high. You say, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." But for man this is impossible. Only if you give us strength can we succeed. Only if you begin to fill us with life now can we live in a way worthy of the life to come.
You yourself answer us on the day of salvation. You keep us. You use us to restore the land.
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
Free us from the prison of doubt and sin.
Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Give light to our ignorance and errors.
Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
Even on ground where we don't expect to find grass on which to graze we do find pasture when we follow your guidance.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
Even when the conditions are hard we are safe when we follow you.
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
Guide us, LORD. Following you is the belief we need, the response of living faith. This is how we begin to live even now the life we hope to live forever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
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