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| "To guide our feet to the way of peace" -- artist unknown |
FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 7: 1 - 5, 8 - 12, 14, 16
1
And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had
given him rest on every side from all his enemies,
2
He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house
of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?
3
And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because
the Lord is with thee.
4
But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to
Nathan, saying:
5
Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou
build me a house to dwell in?
8
And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the
Lord of hosts: as I took thee out of the pastures from following the
sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:
9
And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have
slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a
great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the
earth.
10
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant
them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more:
neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they
did before,
11
From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I
will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to
thee, that the Lord will make thee a house.
12
And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy
fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out
of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
14
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he
commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with
the stripes of the children of men.
16
And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy
face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.
2
The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever. I will shew forth thy
truth with my mouth to generation and generation.
3
For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens:
thy truth shall be prepared in them.
4
I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my
servant:
5
Thy seed will I settle for ever. And I will build up thy throne unto
generation and generation.
27
He shall cry out to me: Thou art my father: my God, and the support
of my salvation.
29
I will keep my mercy for him for ever: and my covenant faithful to
him.
67
And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy Ghost; and he
prophesied, saying:
68
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and
wrought the redemption of his people:
69
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David
his servant:
70
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the
beginning:
71
Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:
72
To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,
73
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant
to us,
74
That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him
without fear,
75
In holiness and justice before him, all our days.
76
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
77
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of
their sins:
78
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from
on high hath visited us:
79
To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death:
to direct our feet into the way of peace.
