996. Pride is a dangerous trait because it convinces man that he is greater than God

The Book of Truth:
Sunday, December 15th, 2013, 16:45

 

My dearly beloved daughter, mankind is ignorant of the Divine Laws and the Divine Will of My Father. Man is a creature of God and, as such, has not been given the Gift of Knowledge in relation to many secrets known only to the angels and saints in Heaven. Therefore, one man cannot say he knows why My Father allows certain events to take place in the world, while another man claims that he is privy to the origin of the universe. Man is simply a servant of God, but God, because He wanted to create man in His perfect Image, granted him many gifts and talents. He never gave man the Knowledge of the Tree of Life and this was for a reason. Man destroyed his standing in God’s Eyes, when Adam and Eve separated themselves from Him, because of the sin of pride. The sin of pride continues today and is the cause of much separation from God. Pride is a dangerous trait because it convinces man that he is greater than God. Pride tempts man to interfere with God’s Laws of Divinity. This includes the belief that man has the right to decide who is given the Gift of Life and who has the right to take it away.

Pride also convinces man that he knows how the universe was created, when he is, in fact, ignorant of such a miracle. Only God has the Power to create anything. Only God can decide how much He will permit man to explore or tamper with His Creation. Yet, man believes that he knows all the answers. When man believes that he controls his own destiny, and the destiny of others, he falls into serious error because when he imitates the sin of Lucifer, he will be cast away. When man refuses to respond to his Creator, He will no longer be there to comfort him on the last day.

You must never allow pride to convince you that you know all things of this world and beyond it, for this is impossible. Instead you must listen, accept the instructions laid down in the Holy Gospels, so that you can live in peace and in accordance with My Father’s Will. For when you humble yourselves before Him, He will show you great glory and then you will understand the great mystery of His Glorious Kingdom on the last day.

Your Jesus”


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Roman Catholic:

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 186

Reading 1 Sir 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Alleluia Lk 3:4, 6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that
Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to
him whatever they pleased.
So also will the
Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/121518.cfm

 
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Orthodox (Greek Catholic):

Jesus Heals the Man with Dropsy

14 On one occasion when Jesus[a] was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” But they were silent. So Jesus[b] took him and healed him, and sent him away. Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child[c] or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” And they could not reply to this.

Humility and Hospitality

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+14%3A1-11&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS


Torah:

“… 28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.’‘I will do as you say,’ he said.

31 ‘Swear to me,’ he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.[a] …”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+47%3A28-44&version=NIVUK;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

Manasseh and Ephraim

48.1 Some time later Joseph was told, ‘Your father is ill.’ So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, ‘Your son Joseph has come to you,’ Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty[a] appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, “I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.”

‘Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan,[b] to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath’ (that is, Bethlehem).

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, ‘Who are these?’

‘They are the sons God has given me here,’ Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, ‘Bring them to me so that I may bless them.’

10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

11 Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’

12 Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right towards Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

‘May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,
the God who has been my shepherd
    all my life to this day,

16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
    – may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my
fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.’

17 When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’

19 But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’ 20 He blessed them that day and said,

‘In your[c] name will Israel pronounce this blessing:
    “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”’

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘I am about to die, but God will be with you[d] and take you[e] back to the land of your[f] fathers. 22 And to you I give one more ridge of land[g] than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+48%3A1-44&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

David’s Instruction to Solomon

2.1 When David’s time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the Lord will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: ‘If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’

“Moreover you know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner son of Ner, and Amasa son of Jether, whom he murdered, retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist, and on the sandals on his feet. Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. Deal loyally, however, with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from your brother Absalom. There is also with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a terrible curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim; but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; you will know what you ought to do to him, and you must bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”

Death of David

10 Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. 11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+2%3A1-12&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

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https://www.hebcal.com/sedrot/vayechi


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piELyx5gaUI