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This is from
FaithFirst, a source for Gospel Reflections
for Catholic Families.
Please visit that site. |
As was often Jesus' message, today's Gospel reverses
the rich and poor of this world and the next. Lazarus,
a poor beggar who was most likely crippled and had
open sores that dogs licked, sat every day beneath the
window of a rich man.
The rich man dined
lavishly everyday and completely ignored Lazarus.
Eventually, they both died and the angels carried
Lazarus to heaven where he was held by Abraham.
The rich man went to
hell where he was parched and tormented. Looking up,
the rich man saw Lazarus comforted by Abraham and
still with arrogant behavior, asked Abraham to send
Lazarus down to dip water onto his tongue. Abraham
explained that there could be no crossing from one
place to the next and that the rich man was stuck with
the consequences of his earthly behavior. The man knew
it futile then to argue for himself but begged Abraham
to send someone to his brothers to warn them that they
needed to change, or they would end up as he had.
Abraham reminded the man that his brothers had already
been told all that, and it was now up to them whether
or not they believed it. Even the raising of a dead
person would not convince them if their hearts were
closed.
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Josiah
The Last Good King of Judah Before the Fall |
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Introduction |
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Repairing the Temple of the LORD |
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Josiah is
eight years old when he takes over from
his father Manasseh. He reigns
thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His
mother's name is Jedidah, daughter of
Adaiah of Bozkath.
He pleases the LORD and conducts himself
unswervingly just as his ancestor David
had done.
In his eighteenth year, King Josiah
sends the scribe Shaphan, head of a
prominent family, secretary to the king,
to the temple of the LORD with orders to
go to the high priest Hilkiah. Josiah
orders Hilkiah to smelt down the
precious metals that had been donated to
the temple of the Lord, which the
doorkeepers had collected from the
people.
These are to be consigned to the master
workmen in the temple of the LORD, who
should then pay them out to the
carpenters, builders, and lumbermen
making repairs on the |
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temple, and for the
purchase of wood and hewn stone for the temple
repairs.
However, Josiah does not demand any accounting of
the funds consigned to them, because they hold
positions of trust.
The Book of
Law
The high priest Hilkiah informs the scribe Shaphan
that he has found the book of the law in the
temple of the LORD, which he gives to Shaphan to
read.
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Then the scribe
Shaphan goes to the king and reports that they
have smelted down the metals available in the
temple and have consigned them to the master
workmen in the temple of the LORD. He also
informs the king that the priest Hilkiah had
given him a book, and then reads it aloud to
the king.
When the king had hears the contents of the
book of the law, he tears his garments in
extreme grief. He then orders Hilkiah to
consult the LORD for the king and for the
people of Judah, about the stipulations of the
book. He tells the priest that the anger of
the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against
them, because their fathers |
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did not obey the
stipulations of this book, nor fulfill their
written obligations.
The Prophetess Huldah
So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan,
and Asaiah go to the Second Quarter in
Jerusalem, where the prophetess Huldah
resides. Upon hearing their mission, she tells
them that the LORD says that He will bring
upon this place and upon its inhabitants all
the evil that is threatened in the book which
the king of Judah has read. |
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She tells
them that this is because they have
forsaken the LORD and have burned incense
to other gods, provoking Him by everything
to which they turn their hands. His anger
is ablaze against this place and it cannot
be extinguished.
But she tell them to inform the king of
Judah who sent them that the LORD, the God
of Israel has heard that he is heartsick
and has humbled himself before the LORD
when he heard His threats and therefore He
will therefore gather him to his
ancestors. He shall go to his grave in
peace, and his eyes shall not see all the
evil He will bring upon this place.
This they report this back to the king.
Josiah’s
Covenant
The king then summons all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem together before him. |
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The king goes
up to the temple of the LORD with all the men
of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people. Then he
has the entire contents of the book of the
covenant that had been found in the temple of
the LORD, read out to them.
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Standing by
the column, the king makes a covenant
before the LORD that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and
decrees with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book. And all
the people stand as participants in the
covenant.
Cleaning up
Judah
Then the king commands the high |
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priest Hilkiah,
his vicar, and the doorkeepers to remove from
the temple of the LORD all the objects that had
been made for Baal, Asherah, and the whole host
of heaven. He has these burned outside Jerusalem
on the slopes of the Kidron and their ashes
carried to Bethel.
He also puts an end to the pseudo-priests whom
the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense
on the high places in the cities of Judah and in
the vicinity of Jerusalem, as well as those who
burned incense to Baal, to the sun, moon, and
signs of the Zodiac, and to the whole host of
heaven. |
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From the temple of the LORD he also removes the
sacred pole, to the Kidron Valley, outside
Jerusalem. There he has it burned and beaten to
dust, which are then scattered over the common
graveyard.
He tears down the apartments of the cult
prostitutes which were in the temple of the
LORD, and in which the women weave garments for
the Asherah.
He brings in all the priests from the cities of
Judah, and then defiles all the high places
where they had offered incense. He also tears
down the high place of the satyrs, which is at
the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, governor of
the city.
He destroys the
altars for the sacrifice by fire of sons and
daughters in honor of Molech. He does away
with the horses at the entrance of the temple of
the LORD which the kings of |
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Judah had
dedicated to the sun and destroys the chariots
of the sun by fire.
He destroys and
demolishes all and everything that is not
dedicated to the LORD including the altar at
Bethel built by Jeroboam who caused Israel to
sin.
When Josiah sees the graves on the mountainside,
he orders the bones taken and burned on the
altar, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD
which the man of God had proclaimed as Jeroboam
was standing by the altar on the feast day. When
the king looks up he sees the grave of the man
of God, who came from Judah and predicted the
very things he has done to the altar of Bethel.
Josiah orders to let his grave untouched and his
bones unmoved.
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Re-Instituting the Passover
The king issues a command to all the people to
observe the Passover of the LORD, as it was
prescribed in that book of the covenant. No
Passover such as this had been observed during
the period when the Judges ruled Israel, or
during the entire period of the kings of Israel
and the kings of Judah, until the eighteenth
year of King Josiah.
Further,
Josiah does away with the consultation of
ghosts and spirits, with the household gods,
idols, and all the |
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other horrors in
the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. Before him
there had been no king who turned to the LORD as
he did, with his whole heart, his whole soul,
and his whole strength, in accord with the
entire Law of Moses; nor could any after him
compare with him.
Yet, because of all the provocations that
Manasseh had given, the LORD does not desist
from his fiercely burning anger against Judah.
In his time Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, goes up
toward the river Euphrates to the king of
Assyria. King Josiah sets out to confront him,
but is slain at Megiddo at the first encounter.
His servants bring his body on a chariot from
Megiddo to Jerusalem, where they bury him in his
own grave. Then the people of the land take
Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, anoint him, and
proclaim him king to succeed his father. |
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Conquest by the
King of Egypt
However, Jehoahaz does evil in the sight of
the LORD, just as his forebears had done.
Pharaoh Neco takes him prisoner at Riblah in
the land of Hamath, thus ending his reign in
Jerusalem. He imposes a fine upon the land
of a hundred talents of silver and a talent
of gold.
Pharaoh Neco then appoints Eliakim, son of
Josiah, king in place of his father Josiah
and changes his name to Jehoiakim while he
takes Jehoahaz with him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim gives
the silver and gold to Pharaoh but taxes the
land, exacting silver and gold from the
people, from each proportionately to raise
the amount Pharaoh demanded.
Again, he did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done. |
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Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon
During his reign Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, conquers Judah and Jehoiakim becomes
his vassal for three years. Then Jehoiakim turns
and rebells against him.
The LORD lets loose bands of Chaldeans,
Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against him
and Judah to destroy it, as the LORD had
threatened through his prophets.
Jehoiakim dies, and his son Jehoiachin succeeds
him as king. Again, he does evil in the sight of
the LORD, just as his forebears had done. |
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Now the
officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, attack Jerusalem, and the city
comes under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, arrives at the city while his
servants are besieging it. Then Jehoiachin,
king of Judah, together with his mother, his
ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrender to the king of Babylon, who, takes
them captive.
The king of Babylon then carries off all the
treasures of the temple of the LORD and
those of the palace. He breaks up all the
gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as
the LORD had foretold.
He deports all Jerusalem, the officers and
men of the army, the craftsmen and smiths,
leaving no one among the people of the land
except the poor. |
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He deports
Jehoiachin to Babylon, and also leads captive
from Jerusalem to Babylon the king's mother and
wives, his functionaries, and the chief men of
the land. The king of Babylon also leads captive
to Babylon all the men of the army. He trains
craftsmen and smiths as soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin, the king of Babylon
appoints his uncle Mattaniah king, and changes
his name to Zedekiah.
He also does evil in the sight of the LORD, just
as Jehoiakim had done.
The LORD'S anger falls on Jerusalem and Judah
and He casts them out from his presence.
The Fall of
Jerusalem
In the tenth month of the ninth year of
Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, and his whole army advances against
Jerusalem, encamps around it, and builds siege
walls on every side.
He continues the siege of the city until the
eleventh year of Zedekiah. Eventually, because
of the siege, famine grips the city. The people
run out of food and the city walls are breached.
Then the king and all the soldiers leave the
city by night through the gate between the two
walls near the king's garden. Since the
Chaldeans had the city surrounded, they go in
the direction of the Arabah. |
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But the
Chaldean army pursues the king and overtakes
him in the desert near Jericho, where he is
abandoned by his whole army.
The king is then arrested and brought to
Riblah to the king of Babylon, who
pronounces sentence on him. He has
Zedekiah's sons slain before his eyes. Then
he blinds Zedekiah, binds him with fetters,
and has him brought to Babylon.
On the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, captain of the
bodyguard, comes to Jerusalem as the
representative of the king of Babylon. He
burns the house of the LORD, the palace of
the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem,
destroying every large building by fire.
Later his
troops tear down the walls that surround
Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan leads into exile
the last of the people remaining in
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the city, and
those who deserted to the king of Babylon.
But Nebuzaradan leaves behind some of the
country's poor as vinedressers and farmers.
The
Chaldeans carry all the treasures made of
bronze, gold and silver from the temple of
the LORD, to Babylon, as predicted by the
prophet of the LORD.
The captain of the guard also takes Seraiah
the high priest, Zephaniah the second
priest, and the three keepers of the entry.
And from the city he takes one courtier, a
commander of soldiers, five men in the
personal service of the king who were still
in the city, the scribe of the army
commander, who mustered the people of the
land, and sixty of the common people still
remaining in the city, and arrests them. He
brings them all to the king of Babylon at
Riblah.
There the king puts them to death. Thus was
Judah exiled from her land. |
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Enslavement of Judah
As for the people whom he allowed to
remain in the land of Judah,
Nebuchadnezzar appoints as their
governor Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of
Shaphan.
Hearing that the king of Babylon had
appointed Gedaliah governor, all the
army commanders with their men come to
him at Mizpah: Ishmael, son of Nethaniah,
Johanan, son of Kareah, Seraiah, son of
Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and
Jaazaniah, from Beth-maacah.
Gedaliah gives the commanders and their
men his oath. He tells them not to be
afraid of the Chaldean officials. He
tells them to remain in the country and
serve the king of Babylon, and all will
be well.
But in the
seventh month Ishmael, son of Nethaniah,
son of Elishama, of royal descent, comes
with ten men, attacks Gedaliah and kills
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him, along
with the Jews and Chaldeans who are in
Mizpah with him.
Then all
the people leave with the army commanders
and go to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.
In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of
Jehoiachin, king of Judah, Evilmerodach,
king of Babylon, in the inaugural year of
his own reign, raises up Jehoiachin, king of
Judah, from prison.
He speaks kindly to him and gives him a
throne higher than that of the other kings
who are with him in Babylon.
Jehoiachin takes off his prison garb and
eats at the king's table as long as he
lived. |
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For further
reading on the heroes of the Old Testament: |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text. |
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Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament
Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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The Sunday Readings |
September 30,
2007:
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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First Reading From the
Book of Amos: |
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Am 6:1a, 4-7 |
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Thus says the LORD
the God of hosts:
Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of
ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches,
they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves
from the stall!
Improvising to the
music of the harp, like David, they devise their
own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and
anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are
not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
Therefore, now
they shall be the first to go into exile, and
their wanton revelry shall be done away with. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 |
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R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed he who
keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives
sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed
down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless
and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Second Reading from
the Letter to Timothy |
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1 Tm 6:11-16 |
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But you, man of God,
pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love,
patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the
faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were
called
when you made the noble confession in the presence
of many witnesses.
I charge you before
God, who gives life to all things, and before
Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius
Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the
commandment without stain or reproach until the
appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the
blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the
proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in
unapproachable light, and whom no human being has
seen or can see.
To him be honor and
eternal power. Amen. |
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Reading From
the Gospel of Luke:
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Lk 16:19-31 |
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Jesus said to the
Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple
garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each
day. And lying at his door was a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have
eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the
rich man's table.
Dogs even used to
come and lick his sores. When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of
Abraham.
The rich man also
died and was buried, and from the netherworld,
where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and
saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out,
'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue, for I am suffering torment in these
flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are
tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is
established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to
go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said,
'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five
brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied,
'They have Moses and the
prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said,
'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they
will repent.'
Then Abraham said,
'If they will not listen to
Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should
rise from the dead.'" |
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References |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides
those who not only fill the pulpits across
this country but also all interested in
the cultural world in which Jesus lived
with a lot of pertinent information that
sheds light on a lot of areas that have
been "muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers and
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Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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Recipes |
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Spaghetti
with Raw
Tomato and Ricotta Sauce |
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Pictures!
with More than a Thousand Words |
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Way to go! |
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Church Sign: A Warning! |
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Negotiating
Before God. |
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