05/19 – Deuteronomy 6:4-15 – Don’t Be a Yellow-Belt

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6:4-15

Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is the only God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The Lord your God will bring you into the land and give it to you, as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This land will have large, prosperous cities that you didn’t build. Your houses will be filled with all kinds of things that you did not put there. You will have cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant. After you have eaten all that you want, be careful that you don’t forget the Lord, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God, serve him, and take your oaths only in his name. Never worship any of the gods worshiped by the people around you. If you do the Lord your God will become very angry with you and will wipe you off the face of the earth, because the Lord your God, who is with you, is a God who does not tolerate rivals.

Second Reading: Acts 2:36-41

[Peter said,] “All the people of Israel should know beyond a doubt that God made Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”

Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted what Peter said were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to the group.

Gospel Reading: Luke 18:15-17

Some people brought children to Jesus to have him hold them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people not to do that, but Jesus called the children to him and said, “Do not stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of God’s kingdom. I can guarantee this truth: Whoever does not receive God’s kingdom as a little child receives it will never enter it.”