Today's Readings
Thursday, September 23, 2010 -- Week of Proper 20, Year Two
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 985)
Psalms [83] or 116, 117 (morning) 85, 86 (evening)
Esther 7:1-10 or Judith 12:1-20
Acts 19:11-20
Luke 4:14-30
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 985)
Psalms [83] or 116, 117 (morning) 85, 86 (evening)
Esther 7:1-10 or Judith 12:1-20
Acts 19:11-20
Luke 4:14-30
I slept in today. Here are the readings.
P.S. I'll be on vacation tomorrow through next week. Morning Reflections will return October 3. To read the Daily Office online, go to Mission St Clare
posted by Lowell @ 8:37 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
A 2 day’s late, not so sanitized & not so politically correct reading of Judith’s spirituality.
(Judith's Spirituality,Sept. 21st)
Judith at a glance: widowed, wealthy, wise, winsome, slave owner.
Her prayer life: patriotic piety, prays that God will sanction her
deceitful actions against her nation’s enemies.
Her god: Nationalistic, Vengeful, Murderous.
Her first action: Dress (provocatively) for success.
Her second action: A litany of lies.
Her third action: Sexless, but perhaps not sinless, seduction.
Her fourth action: Cold blooded murder;a 2 cut Davidic decapitation. Oops! The first cut is always the deepest, but not always deep enough to cut clean through. Sorry, Holo, baby. Hold still, now, 'cause I gotta cut ya one more time.
Violation of the Commandment: Thou shall not kill/murder?
Her ethics: The end justifies the means. Better that one man should die than that a whole nation should perish.
Rest of the story:
Achior’s conversion at the sight of Holofernes’ head.
Israel’s enemies slaughtered: It’s a good thing!
30 days of plundering. They don’t need this stuff anymore.
Judith & all Israel’s women dance a victory over our enemy dance adorned in olive wreaths: Peace for us through death to you.
Judith sings a victory song: Our God kicked the *&#@* out of the Assyrians.
Judith has more suitors than she can shake a stick at. So, whole lot a shakin’ goin’ on.
Judith distributes her property before death at a ripe old age.
“Property” includes her slaves.
Judith is long remembered. She was a godly gal, that Judith.
The land is peaceful for long after Judith’s death.
Another perspective and reading from another stance. Bravo. But what if we stood in a place where we had no enemies. What if we stood at a place where people were not our enemies. A place where ignorance, poverty, injustice are the real enemies. Perhaps we would be able to say the following words:
O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us; remember the fruits we have bought, thanks to this suffering--our comradeship, the greatnes of heart which has grown out of all this, and when they come to judgement let all the fruits which we have borne be their forgiveness.
--an unknown prisoner in Ravensbruck concentration camp
Peace to you,
Janet
Thanks for both of the comments about Judith.
I wonder if her actions could also be considered in the light of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's participation in an assassination attempt on Hitler?
Lowell
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