Ezekiel 33:1-11
The word of the LORD came to me: O Mortal, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one of their number as their sentinel; and if the sentinel sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people; then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet do not take warning, and the sword comes and takes them away, their blood shall be upon their own heads. They heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; their blood shall be upon themselves. But if they had taken warning, they would have saved their lives. But if the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any of them, they are taken away in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at the sentinel's hand. So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, "O wicked ones, you shall surely die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life. Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: "Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?" Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?
1 John 1:1-10
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Matthew 9:27-34
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you." And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, "See that no one knows of this." But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district. After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons."
Morning Psalms
Psalm 106: Part I Confitemini Domino
1 Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever.
2 Who can declare the mighty acts of the LORD or show forth all his praise?
3 Happy are those who act with justice and always do what is right!
4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you have for your people, and visit me with your saving help;
5 That I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your people, that I may glory with your inheritance.
6 We have sinned as our forebears did; we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.
7 In Egypt they did not consider your marvelous works, nor remember the abundance of your love; they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 But he saved them for his Name's sake, to make his power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of those who hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their oppressors; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words and sang him songs of praise.
13 But they soon forgot his deeds and did not wait for his counsel.
14 A craving seized them in the wilderness, and they put God to the test in the desert.
15 He gave them what they asked, but sent leanness into their soul.
16 They envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed up against their company, and flames devoured the wicked.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 106: Part II Et fecerunt vitulum
19 Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb and worshiped a molten image;
20 And so they exchanged their Glory for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, and fearful things at the Red Sea.
23 So he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath from consuming them.
24 They refused the pleasant land and would not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents and would not listen to the voice of the LORD.
26 So he lifted his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 To cast out their seed among the nations, and to scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They joined themselves to Baal-Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They provoked him to anger with their actions, and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, and the plague came to an end.
31 This was reckoned to him as righteousness throughout all generations for ever.
32 Again they provoked his anger at the waters of Meribah, so that he punished Moses because of them;
33 For they so embittered his spirit that he spoke rash words with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them.
35 They intermingled with the heathen and learned their pagan ways,
36 So that they worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to evil spirits.
38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, which they offered to the idols of Canaan, and the land was defiled with blood.
39 Thus they were polluted by their actions and went whoring in their evil deeds.
40 Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people and he abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them over to the hand of the heathen, and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were humbled under their hand.
43 Many a time did he deliver them, but they rebelled through their own devices, and were brought down in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he saw their distress, when he heard their lamentation.
45 He remembered his covenant with them and relented in accordance with his great mercy.
46 He caused them to be pitied by those who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy Name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, "Amen!" Halleluja.
