August 17, 2026

15Ezekiel as a Sign for the Exiles. The word of the LORD came to me: 16Son of man, with a sudden blow I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes, but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears. 17Groan, moan for the dead, but make no public lament; bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet, but do not cover your beard or eat the bread of mourners. 18I spoke to the people in the morning. In the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. 19Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell us what all these things you are doing mean for us?” 20I said to them, The word of the LORD came to me: 21Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the concern of your soul. The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22Then you shall do as I have done, not covering your beards nor eating the bread of mourning. 23Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet. You shall not mourn or weep, but you shall waste away because of your sins and groan to one another.

18You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you, you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19The LORD saw and was filled with loathing, provoked by his sons and daughters. 20He said, I will hide my face from them, and see what becomes of them. For they are a fickle generation, children with no loyalty in them! 21Since they have incited me with a “no-god,” and provoked me with their empty idols, I will incite them with a “no-people”; with a foolish nation I will provoke them.

3The Beatitudes - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

16Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” 17He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; 19honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” 21Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.