Mon. January 12th
After He healed, raised the dead and walked on water, Jesus commanded us – Go and “Do Greater Things.” We want to take Him up on that.
Reading 1
Ezekiel 33:12-16
12And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that he has committed he shall die. 14Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live.
Psalm
Psalms 51:8-12, 17, 19
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 15O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. 17The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Gospel
Luke 15:3-7
3So he told them this parable: 4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.