source: Book of Common Prayer 1979; read a Jewish translation

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18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 20 When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' " 21 Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
24 When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written,

'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.'

'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.'

From the New Revised Standard Version. Reprinted with permission from HarperBibles.

Reading I: Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14
Responsorial Psalm: 117:1bc, 2
Gospel Reading: Luke 11:1-4

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All audio of the Lectionary readings are used with permission by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

[19] And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

[20] When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

[21] And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

[22] Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

[23] And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

[24] And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

[25] But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

[26] But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

[27] This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

[28] For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

[29] And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

[30] But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

[31] And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

[32] They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

[33] For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

[34] The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

[35] But wisdom is justified of all her children.

I sat in a conference one time when the speaker unfurled a roll of stickers. He wandered around a table at the front of the room that had tiny replicas of a house and a car and a desk. On each item, he affixed one of those stickers--stickers, we could see, that had the word Temporary printed on them. He looked at all of us gathered there and said that every single one of the things we saw represented--our custom homes and SUVs and six-figure incomes--would one day fade away, turning cartwheels like leaves in the wind when this world ends. "If you are living for these things," he said, "then you are living a life of temporary pleasure, temporary satisfaction, and temporary fulfillment."

It occurred to me as I watched him declare the fate of everything in front of us that only one thing in the room was permanent. It was us, people. We are the only "thing" that will exist in the next reality, the only earthly entity that will experience eternity by God's side. Only souls will make it.

While it's true that we need a roof over our heads and transportation and food and clothing and protection from people who have evil in mind, God reminds us of another truth: "There is a need that trumps all others," he says, "and it's the need for me. I'll give you another kind of shelter, another kind of warmth, and another kind of nourishment that grocery stores can't sell. If only you'll look to me."

Light, space, zest--that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. Psalm 27:1-3 (MSG)

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. Matthew 6:27-29 (MSG)

Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. Zephaniah 3:17 (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)

Let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. 1 John 3:18-20 (MSG)

DAY 1: AN EXTRA-ORDINARY NIGHT

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"
--Luke 2:13-14

There is one word that describes the night he came--ordinary.

The sky was ordinary. An occasional gust stirred the leaves and chilled the air. The stars were diamonds sparkling on black velvet.

The sheep were ordinary. Some fat. Some scrawny. Common animals. No history makers. No blue-ribbon winners.

And the shepherds. Peasants they were. Probably wearing all the clothes they owned. Smelling like sheep and looking just as woolly.

An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away.

But God dances amidst the common. And that night he did a waltz.

The black sky exploded with brightness. Trees that had been shadows jumped into clarity. Sheep that had been silent became a chorus of curiosity. One minute the shepherd was dead asleep; the next he was rubbing his eyes and staring into the face of an alien.

The night was ordinary no more.

The announcement went first to the shepherds. Had the angel gone to the theologians, they would have first consulted their commentaries. Had he gone to the elite, they would have looked around to see if anyone was watching.

So he went to the shepherds. Men who didn't know enough to tell God that angels don't sing to sheep and that messiahs aren't found wrapped in rags and sleeping in a feed trough.

--Max Lucado

From 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, by Max Lucado (2007). Used with permission of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22-25)

Reflect On: Romans 8:22-25.
Praise God: For lifting our burdens.
Offer Thanks: For his plan of redemption.
Confess: Any habit of doubting or forgetting God's promises.
Ask God: To give you a deeper awareness of the full redemption that still awaits you.

Technology has changed our world in remarkable ways. One of the ways it has streamlined my life is by giving me a simple way of categorizing people. As I see it, there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who forward emails loaded with advice, jokes, lists, causes, petitions, prayers, stories, and cool graphics and those who, even on pain of threatened consequences, don't.

At least a few of these endlessly forwarded emails are ones that contain long lists of self-defense tips for women. Here's some advice about precautions to take in a parking lot: "Never smell proffered perfume samples because someone may be trying to drug you," or "upon discovering a would-be attacker in the back seat of your car, drive straight into the nearest parked car (assuming no one is in it) - your air bag will inflate protecting you while he will suffer brain damage from being violently thrown around in the back" or "if a van is parked next to you and you are alone, always enter your car on the passenger side lest you be abducted." What a shame that there is any need for such warnings.

The sad fact is that people like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer do exist, though the chance of crossing paths with one of them is slim to none. But these are only small-time killers compared to the worst serial killer of all time. You know his name, though it may elude you for a moment. In fact, he is known by various names: Satan, the devil, the adversary, Lucifer, the prince of this world, the evil one, the accuser. Regardless of what you call him, he is cunning and dangerous, intent on destroying as many human souls as possible.

So how do we protect ourselves against such a predator? Scripture tells us that sin is what makes us vulnerable to Satan. If it weren't for sin we could simply laugh him off. If it weren't for sin there would be no such thing as death, because death - the separation of the soul from the body - is solely a byproduct of sin. Fortunately, our Redeemer has come to reverse the curse of sin and death and to free us from the predatory power of evil. It's as though Jesus took on the role of an undercover police officer assigned the task of luring a serial killer out into the open. But Jesus wasn't just posing as a target with other officers standing ready to rescue him. He had to submit to death, to enter into it in order to undo it.

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has defeated Satan and secured our future. He has bridged the unbridgeable gap between sinful humanity and a holy God, providing a way for us to be united to God forever. But there is a sense in which the work of redemption is not yet complete. We still suffer loss and endure hurts beyond our comprehension. We still die. Even so, Scripture tells us not only that our souls will live forever but that our souls will one day be joined to glorified bodies that will never get sick, never suffer, and never die. Here is how Paul expressed it to the Corinthian Christians:

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

Meanwhile, we who were formerly enslaved by sin, in bondage to Satan, may well echo the sentiments of a woman named Mary Reynolds, who was born into slavery in Louisiana. Toward the end of her life, when she was over a hundred years old, still poor but now free, Mary told an interviewer: "I members bout the days of slavery and I don't lieve they ever gwine have slaves no more on this earth. I think Gawd done took that burden offen his black chillum and I'm aimin' to praise him for it to his face in the days of Glory what ain't so far off."

As former slaves, let us rise up and thank Christ for the burdens he has lifted from us, confident that we too will praise him for it to his face in the days of glory, which aren't far off.

--Ann Spangler

Adapted from "Praying the Names of Jesus" by Ann Spangler, with permission. Each day for five weeks, learn to better understand the nature and character of Jesus through his many names. Did you miss any entries? Stay subscribed to this feed and you'll receive the entries you missed once the feed restarts.

This is part of Mary E. DeMuth's guided journal, "Creating the Family You Always Wanted," a 12-week journey in Christian parenting. Twice a week, you'll receive a new journaling prompt encouraging you to think about your family--and God--in new ways. Use these prompts in your own journal or in group discussion. If you're joining this journal mid-way through, you can start journaling at any time, and stay subscribed at the end, when the journal will restart and you can receive the prompts that you missed.

Insight From the Dalai Lama: 2007 Calendar," Copyright © 2006, Andrews McMeel Publishing.