Category Archives: seals

Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

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Roman Catholic:

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 500

Reading 1 Rv 5:1-10

I, John, saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.
It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice,
Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to examine it.
I shed many tears because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll or to examine it.
One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll from the right hand
of the one who sat on the throne.
When he took it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy ones.
They sang a new hymn:”Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (Rev. 5:10) The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112218-weekday.cfm

 
 
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Orthodox (Greek Catholic):

Qualifications of Bishops

3.1 The saying is sure:[a] whoever aspires to the office of bishop[b] desires a noble task. Now a bishop[c] must be above reproach, married only once,[d] temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons

Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money; they must hold fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons. 11 Women[e] likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be married only once,[f] and let them manage their children and their households well; 13 for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+3&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. 33 After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+18%3A31-34&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

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https://oca.org/readings/daily/2018/11/22
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889. Mother of Salvation: The antichrist, upon his announcement, will declare that he is a devout Christian

The Book of Truth:
Friday, August 23rd, 2013, 14:09

 

My child, how Christians will suffer as the disease of sin engulfs the world everywhere in many guises.

There is an organized attempt being made to wipe out Christianity and this takes many forms. You will know that when Christians are denied the right to publicly declare their allegiance to God, that every other creed, not of God, will be permitted to do so. These other creeds will be given great support when they plead for justice, in the name of their rights as citizens. What this will do is to spread further the sins which are abhorrent to my Father.

People will be forced to accept sin in their countries and it will become an offense for Christians to object to these laws. Christians will be viewed as being uncharitable, right wing and out of touch with the human rights of others. Every trait, desirable in souls, as laid down by my Father, will be used as a front in their efforts to justify such wickedness in your nations.

When disease of the flesh grips a community, it kills many. But, after a time of great sorrow and many deaths, the remaining community becomes immune to the disease. Sin will cause disease of the flesh in many nations, as the judgements of the Seals are declared by the Saviour of humanity and poured down by the angels of the Lord. Many will be killed in atonement for the wickedness of man. This purification will continue until there will remain only those who are immune to death because of their love for God.

Christians will suffer greatly in a number of ways. Their faith will be taken away from them and in its place an abomination will be witnessed. Their pain, which has already begun, is the same as that experienced by my Son, at this time. Then, they will have to witness an astonishing sight, as the antichrist, upon his announcement, will declare that he is a devout Christian. He will use many extracts from the Bible in his speeches to the world. Weary Christians, who suffered up to this, will suddenly be relieved. At last, they will think, here is a man sent from Heaven in answer to their prayers. Out of his mouth will spill many sweet and comforting words and he will appear to be a godsend, in that he will be seen to amend the wrongs against Christians. He will carefully construct how he is perceived by Christians and especially Roman Catholics, for these will be his main target.

All will admire the antichrist and his so-called christian acts, gestures and his perceived love of Holy Scripture will make him instantly acceptable by many. He will draw all nations together and set about holding ceremonies for other religions and, in particular, pagan organizations, so that they can work together to bring about world peace. He will succeed in uniting countries, which had been enemies up till then. Silence will be heard in war torn countries and his image will appear everywhere. His final, great achievement will be when he brings all those nations he unites, into the domain of the Catholic Church and all other Christian denominations. This unification will form the new, one world religion. From that day forth, Hell will break loose on Earth and the influence of demons will be at its greatest level since before the great flood. People will be seen to adore God in the new, one world order church and appear to be devout in every way. Then outside of the churches they will indulge in sin openly, for no sin will shame them. Under the hypnotic direction of the false trinity – the trinity created by Satan – they will crave every kind of sin as a means to sustain their newfound appetite.

This wickedness will include sins of the flesh, where nakedness will be acceptable, as man will become involved in obscene sins of the flesh in public places. Murders will be common and committed by many, including children.
Satanic worship and black masses will take place in many Catholic Churches. Abortion will be seen as a solution for every kind of problem and will be permitted right up to the day of birth.

It will soon become a criminal offence to show any kind of allegiance to Jesus Christ. If you are seen with a true Cross you will find that you have committed an offense, because you will be breaking the law. The law in your lands will become a dual law – where politics and religion will be entwined in the new world order.

This persecution will mean that many, unknowingly, will adore the beast and become infested. So infested will they become that they will betray brother, sister, mother and father, to the authorities, if they should remain loyal to Christianity. Your only hope, children, is prayer to sustain you through this period.

I urge you to keep all holy objects, rosary beads, blessed candles, holy water, a copy of the Bible and the holy daily Missal along with the Crusade of Prayer book. You must keep the Seal of the Living God in your home and on you if possible. My Medal of Salvation will convert those who wear it and they will be shown Mercy by my Son. I now request you, child, to have the Medal of Salvation produced now and a Scapular of the Seal of the Living God made.

This Message is a warning from Heaven of things to come. You must listen to me, the Mother of Salvation, as I must guide you to the Truth, so that you will remain truly faithful to my Son at all times.

Go in peace, children, and be calm as this trial will, because of the Mercy of God, be short. Trust in me, your Mother, as I will be with you always during your trials. You will never be alone.

Your Mother, Mother of Salvation”

 
 

Friday, August 23rd, 2013, 15:00

My dearest daughter, while the world strives to make sense out of the despair they witness, know that all of these turmoils must take place, before I bring all those who love Me into My Place of Refuge.

You will soon know Who I Am, children. Those of you who are unsure of Me will see the Truth at last and this will bring you great peace. The evil in the world increases now and the deceit descends. You must be strong, I plead with you, as I await now the day when the renewal will begin and all of My children will find solace on the Day, when My beloved Son declares Himself.

What you are witnessing is a battle between My Heavenly Hierarchy and Satan and all his demons. It is frightening and very upsetting for many of you, but know that I will intervene to ease your pain. Know that you are Mine and that I will bring peace to the world, when I have rid it of infestation.

Children, we are but just a short time away from the Great Day and while much still has to take place, where the Sacred Name of My Son will be torn apart, it will be swift. You must look now to the future, as it is a glittering jewel of such magnitude that on the Day when you enter the New Era of Peace, you will have forgotten the persecution inflicted upon the world by the evil one. You must do as My Son instructs you. You must remain calm as the Seals are revealed to you, which are all for your own good and those whose souls I ask you to plead for My Mercy.

If you stay true to My Commandments and live your lives in union with My Son, you will be half way there. If you remain firm to the Sacraments and refuse to participate in pagan rituals, which honour the beast, then you will find much favour with Me.

Go and remember that I Am the Almighty One and that all Power is Mine. Soon, I will destroy the wicked and unveil My New Paradise to you. Be patient. Trust in Me. Follow My Son and accept the Gifts, which He and His beloved Mother, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, bring you, in the form of the Crusade Prayers and the Medal of Salvation.

Finally accept My Seal as one of the greatest Gifts I have given humanity since I gave them Life. I give Life again with My Special Graces when you hold close to you, the Seal of the Living God. All those with the Seal are granted a place in the New Paradise.

I love you, children, but I Am your Father and I must allow these trials, as they will help Me to weed out those who will never deviate from the side of the beast. The time I spend trying to win over their hearts creates a terrible and hateful battle, with millions of fallen angels and demons, even though it be just one soul.

Remain comforted in the knowledge that I bless all of you, who are pure and humble of heart. I love all of you, so you must never give up when all seems hopeless, for My Power means that the destruction of evil is under My Control. You must place all your trust in Me, especially at this time, when you feel that My Justice is harsh.

Your beloved Father, God the Most High”

 
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Roman Catholic:

Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 422

Reading 1 Ez 36:23-28

Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and
I will be your God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R. (Ezekiel 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.

Alleluia Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying,
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”‘
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.” “

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082318.cfm

 
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Orthodox (Greek Catholic):

Imitating Christ’s Humility

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him
    and gave him the name
    that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
    that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A5-11&version=NRSVCE;NR2006;SCH2000;ERV-HU;BDS

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https://oca.org/readings/daily/2018/08/23