The Synod has ended(, and gospel of the day).
www.vaticannews.va
The second chapter : Micah 2:6-13 :
“Enough of your preaching !” That's what you [, samaritans,] tell me. “We won't be disgraced, so stop preaching !”
Descendants of Jacob, is it right for you to claim that the Lord did what he did because he was angry ?
Doesn't he always bless those who do right ?
My people, you have turned against one another !
You have even stolen clothes right off the backs of innocent neighbors who pass by in peace.
You take over lovely homes that belong to the women of my nation. Then you cheat their children out of the inheritance that comes from the Lord.
Get out of here, you crooks ! You'll find no rest here.
You're not fit to belong to the Lord's people, and you will be destroyed.
The only prophet you want is a liar who will say, “Drink and get drunk !”
I, the Lord, promise to bring together the people of Israel who have survived.
I will gather them, just as a shepherd brings sheep together, and there will be many.
I will break down the gate and lead them out— then I will be their king.
There's a code here : John 6:9-13 :
“There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people ?”
The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to tell everyone to sit down. About 5,000 men were in the crowd.
Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.
The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted.
The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves.
(reminder)
John 6:19-20 :
When the disciples had rowed for five or six kilometers, they saw Jesus walking on the water.
He kept coming closer to the boat, and they were terrified. But he said, “I am Jesus ! Don't be afraid !”
[The greek text weirdly stops at saying "I am !"]
The rest is interesting but a bit long so i'll keep it for tomorrow, but if you're interested go ahead, here's an excerpt :
Jesus replied : I am the bread that gives life ! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما :
Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail went to Shâm(, the region comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan), enquiring about a true religion to follow.
He met a jewish religious scholar and asked him about their religion. He said, "I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me something about it". The jew said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you receive your share of God’s Anger. Zaid said, I do not run except from God’s Anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can you tell me of some other religion ? He said, "I do not know any other religion except Hanîf/'Islâmic Monotheism'." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanîf ?" He said, "Hanîf is the religion of (the Prophet )Abraham عليه السلام, he was neither a jew nor a christian, and he used to worship none but God( Alone) - Islâmic Monotheism."
Then Zaid went out and met a christian religious scholar and told him the same( as before). The christian said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you get a share of God’s Curse." Zaid replied, "I do not run except from God’s Curse, and I will never bear any of God’s Curse and His Anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will you tell me of some other religion ?" He replied, "I do not know any other religion except Hanîf/'Islâmic Monotheism'." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanîf ?" He replied "Hanîf is the religion of (the Prophet )Abraham عليه السلام, he was neither a jew nor a christian, and he used to worship none but God( Alone) - Islâmic Monotheism."
When Zaid heard their statement about (the religion of )Abraham, he left that place, and when he came out, he raised both his hands and said, "O God ! I make You my Witness that I am on the religion of Abraham".
Surah Al-Baqarah(, "The Cow") 2:124-141 :
And (remember )when the Lord of Abraham(, God,) tried him with (certain )commands, which he fulfilled.
God said( to him), "Verily, I am going to make you a.n Imâm/leader for mankind."
(Abraham )said, "And of my offspring( to make leaders)."
God said, "My Covenant/Prophethood includes not wrong-doers."
And (remember )when We made the House(, the Ka‘bah at Makkah,) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety.
And take you(, people,) the place of Abraham(, or the stone on which he stood while building the Ka‘bah,) as a place of prayer, and We commanded Abraham and Ishmael that they should purify My House(, the Ka‘bah,) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying, or bowing, or prostrating themselves( there, in prayer).
And( remember) when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this city(, Makkah,) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in God and the Last Day."
God answered : "As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!"
And( remember) when Abraham and (his son )Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House/Ka‘bah, (saying, )"Our Lord ! Accept( this service) from us. Verily ! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
Our Lord ! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manâsik(, ceremonies of pilgrimage), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.
Our Lord ! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book and the 'full knowledge of the Islâmic laws and jurisprudence'/wisdom/Prophethood, and purify them. Verily ! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."
And who turns away from the religion of Abraham(, Islâm,) except him who befools himself ? Truly, We chose him in this world and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.
When his Lord said to him, "Submit(, be a Muslim) !" He said, "I have submitted myself to the Lord of all that exists."
And this( submission to God, Islâm,) was enjoined by Abraham upon his sons and by Jacob(, saying), "O my sons ! God has chosen for you the (true )religion, then die not except in the Faith of Islâm."
Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob ? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me ?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilâh/God(, Allah), the Ilâh/God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, One God, and to H..er.im we submit( in Islâm)."
That was a nation who has passed away.
They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn.
And you will not be asked of what they used to do.
And they say, "Be jews or christians, then you will be guided."
Say( to them O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), "Nay, (we follow )only the religion of Abraham, the right/good/true faith, and he was not of those who worshipped others along with God."
Say (O Muslims), "We believe in God and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and to the offspring of the twelve sons of Jacob, and that which has been given to Moses and Jesus, and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted(, in Islâm)."
So, if they believe in the like of that which you believe, then they are rightly guided ; but, if they turn away, then they are only in opposition.
So God will suffice you against them.
And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
(Our religion is )The Religion of God, and which religion can be better than God's ? And we are His worshippers.
Say(, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, to the jews and christians), "Dispute you with us about God while He is our Lord and your Lord ?
And we are to be rewarded for our deeds and you for your deeds. And we are sincere to Him(, i.e., we worship God Alone and none else, and obey H..er.is orders)."
Or say you that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the offspring of the twelve sons of Jacob, were jews or christians ?
Say, "Do you know better or does God knows better(, that they were muslims) ? And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from God ?
And God is not unaware of what you do."
That was a nation who has passed away.
They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you of what you earn.
And you will not be asked of what they used to do.
Narration about Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail.
Narrated ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما :
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم met Zaid bin ‘Amr bin Nufail in the bottom of (the valley of )Baldah before the descent of any Divine revelation to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
A meal was presented to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, but he refused to eat from it.
(Then it was presented to Zaid )who said, "I do not eat anything which you slaughter on your Nusub/'place consecrated for offerings to others than the One God', in the name of your idols, etc. I eat only those (animals meat )on which God’s Name has been mentioned at the time of (their )slaughtering."
Zaid bin ‘Amr used to criticise the way Quraish used to slaughter their animals and used to say, "God has created the sheep and He has sent the water for it from the sky, and He has grown the grass for it from the earth ; yet you slaughter it in others than the Name of God." He used to say so, for he rejected that practice and considered it as something abominable.
Saint of the day : St. German, Bishop of Capua