SIRACH 2:4-10B, 11 (2026)

 SIRACH 2:4-10B, 11

4 Accept all that happens to you, be patient when you are humbled, 5 for as gold is tested in the fire, so those acceptable to God are tested in the crucible of humiliation. 6 Have confidence in him and he will take care of you; follow the right path and hope in him. 7 You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy and do not turn away lest you fall. 8 You who fear the Lord, trust him and you will not lose your reward.

9 You who fear the Lord, hope for all good things; hope for eternal joy and mercy. 10 Who has ever trusted in the Lord and been confounded? Who has persevered in fear of the Lord and been abandoned? Who has called upon him and not been heard? 11 For the Lord is compassion and loving-kindness; he forgives our sins and saves us in time of distress.

---- my own,

Remember, no cross, no glory. This is the only sure way to My Father's house. Do not allow fear, anxiety, sadness, or worry to crush your spirit. I, the Lord your God, am with you through it all. Hold on to Me. Cling to Me. Do not let go of My hand. Remember always that nothing can separate you from My love except grave sin. Look to Me, and you will find the strength to accept all the trials that I permit you to experience. Without difficulties in this life, you will not grow in faith, nor will you persevere in it. Even as you walk through the storm, even when the road seems dark, narrow, and most difficult, I AM with you. I will never leave you, never will I forsake you. You are Mine in time and in eternity. Pray always, pray constantly, keep your gaze fixed on Me and on things that are above. Do not focus on the troubles that assail you; these are necessary for you to be purified. Only in Sorrow, suffering, and loss will the quality of your faith be apparent to you. The greater the faith, the greater the peace you will enjoy. No matter how high the waves and how strong the wind in the storm, I AM with you always; that is all you need to remember. I give you light enough to take one more step, take it in faith, trusting Me to guide you even in the dark, and you will grow in faith, hope, and confidence in My love for you and My abiding Presence in you.

MATTHEW 25:14-15 (2026)

MATTHEW 25:14-15

14 Imagine someone who, before going abroad, summoned his servants to entrust his property to them. 15 He gave five talents of silver to one servant, two talents to another servant, and one talent to a third, to each, according to his ability; and he went away.

---- my own,

Do you recognise and acknowledge the talents that I have given you? Have you taken the time to think, reflect, and note all the gifts that you have been given from the moment of your conception? Have you ever seriously considered how you have used the gifts given to you fruitfully, or have you ignored them, squandered them, or are you completely unaware of My magnanimity to you? Have I given you five talents, two, one? Have you used them and have they grown and flourished as you used them extensively, and have they made your life and the lives you have shared them with more fruitful, meaningful, and joyful? Have you grown in your love for Me and in your confidence that I alone AM the Giver of every good and perfect gift? I gave Solomon what he asked for and so much more than he could dream of. He began well but ended badly. What about you? Have you consistently used what I have blessed you with to bless the lives of those around you? The day of reckoning will come, and when it does, I will demand a strict account of your stewardship. Remember this well and use the time you have left to increase and multiply what has been entrusted to you for the glory of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Live in the present, do not spend time worrying over the past, which is but vain regret, or the future over which you have neither knowledge nor control, but spend yourself now for others while there is yet time.