I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and on lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 ?I myself? will feed my flock and ?I myself? will allow them to lie down,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh. 16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind up the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice.”
+ DAILY PRAYER +
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:12-19
Psa 55:12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him.
Psa 55:13 But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend.
Psa 55:14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.
Psa 55:15 Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
Psa 55:16 But I call to God, and the LORD will save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Psa 55:18 He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
Psa 55:19 God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change and do not fear God.
Reading for Monday September 21st Ezekiel 34:14-31
14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their pasture will be on the mountains of the heights of Israel; there they will lie down in good pasture, and on lush pasture they will feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 ?I myself? will feed my flock and ?I myself? will allow them to lie down,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh. 16 “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the scattered, and I will bind up the one hurt, and I will strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed her with justice.”
17 “ ‘And you, my flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am judging between ?one sheep and another?, between the rams and between the he-goats. 18 ?Is it not enough for you? that you feed on the good pasture? And still you must trample the remainder of your pasture with your feet, and ?clear water? you drink, and the ?leftover water? you must make muddy with your feet. 19 And my flock must graze the pasture treaded upon by your feet, and must drink the mud puddle stirred up by your feet.”
20 “ ‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: “Look! I, even I will judge between fat sheep and between lean sheep, 21 because with your flank and with your shoulder you shoved, and with your horns you pushed all of the sick animals ?until? you scattered it to the outside. 22 And so I will save my flock, and ?they will no longer be? for plunder, and I will judge between ?one sheep and another?. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; that is, my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as a shepherd. 24 And I, Yahweh, I will be for them ?as God?, and my servant David will be a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken. 25 And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will put an end to wild animals from the land, and they will dwell in the desert ?safely?, and they will sleep in the forest. 26 And I will make them and the area all around my hill a blessing, and I will let the rain go down ?at its appointed time?; they will be rains of blessing. 27 And the tree of the field will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and they will be on their land ?safely?, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I break their yoke, and I will deliver them from the hand of the ones enslaving them. 28 And they will not be any longer plunder to the nations, and the animals of the land will not eat them, and they will dwell ?in safety?, and there will not be anyone frightening them. 29 And I will raise for them a garden plot of renown, and they will ?no longer? be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear any more the insult of the nations. 30 And they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them and they are my people, the house of Israel,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh, 31 “and you are my flock, the flock of my pasture. You are ?my people?; I am your God,” ?declares? the Lord Yahweh.’ ”
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us to do Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
