Leituras do dia

Oração da manhã — primeira leitura

Judith 7

Não existe nenhuma edição de domínio público deste livro na sua língua, pelo que esta passagem é apresentada em inglês.

The next day Holofernes commanded all his army and all the people who had come to be his allies, that they should move their camp toward Bethulia, take beforehand the ascents of the hill country, and make war against the children of Israel. Every mighty man of them moved that day. The army of their men of war was one hundred seventy thousand footmen, plus twelve thousand horsemen, besides the baggage, and the men that were on foot among them: an exceedingly great multitude. They encamped in the valley near Bethulia, by the fountain. They spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which is near Esdraelon. But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were troubled exceedingly, and everyone said to his neighbor, “Now these men will lick up the face of all the earth. Neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills will be able to bear their weight. Every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night. But on the second day Holofernes led out all his horse in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia, viewed the ascents to their city, and searched out the springs of the waters, seized upon them, and set garrisons of men of war over them. Then he departed back to his people. All the rulers of the children of Esau, all the leaders of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast came to him and said, “Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not losses in your army. For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, for it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains. And now, my lord, don’t fight against them as men fight who join battle, and there will not so much as one man of your people perish. Remain in your camp, and keep every man of your army safe. Let your servants get possession of the water spring, which flows from the foot of the mountain, because all the inhabitants of Bethulia get their water from there. Then thirst will kill them, and they will give up their city. Then we and our people will go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will encamp upon them, to watch that not one man gets out of the city. They will be consumed with famine, they and their wives and their children. Before the sword comes against them they will be laid low in the streets where they dwell. And you will pay them back with evil, because they rebelled, and didn’t meet your face in peace.” Their words were pleasing in the sight of Holofernes and in the sight of all his servants; and he ordered them to do as they had spoken. And the army of the children of Ammon moved, and with them five thousand of the children of Asshur, and they encamped in the valley. They seized the waters and the springs of the waters of the children of Israel. The children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and encamped in the hill country near Dothaim. They sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east, near Ekrebel, which is near Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur. The rest of the army of the Assyrians encamped in the plain, and covered all the face of the land. Their tents and baggage were pitched upon it in a great crowd. They were an exceedingly great multitude. The children of Israel cried to the Lord their God, for their spirit fainted; for all their enemies had surrounded them. There was no way to escape out from among them. All the army of Asshur remained around them, their footmen and their chariots and their horsemen, thirty-four days. All their vessels of water ran dry for all the inhabitants of Bethulia. The cisterns were emptied, and they had no water to drink their fill for one day; for they rationed drink by measure. Their young children were discouraged. The women and the young men fainted for thirst. They fell down in the streets of the city, and in the passages of the gates. There was no longer any strength in them. All the people, including the young men, the women, and the children, were gathered together against Ozias, and against the rulers of the city. They cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders, “God be judge between all of you and us, because you have done us great wrong, in that you have not spoken words of peace with the children of Asshur. Now we have no helper; but God has sold us into their hands, that we should be laid low before them with thirst and great destruction. And now summon them, and deliver up the whole city as prey to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army. For it is better for us to be made a plunder to them. For we will be servants, and our souls will live, and we will not see the death of our babies before our eyes, and our wives and our children fainting in death. We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers. Do what we have said today!” And there was great weeping of all with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried to the Lord God with a loud voice. And Ozias said to them, “Brethren, be of good courage! Let us endure five more days, during which the Lord our God will turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly. But if these days pass, and no help comes to us, I will do what you say.” Then he dispersed the people, every man to his own camp; and they went away to the walls and towers of their city. He sent the women and children into their houses. They were brought very low in the city.

Oração da manhã — segunda leitura

Marcos 11

Ora, quando se aproximavam de Jerusalém, de Betfagé e de Betânia, junto do Monte das Oliveiras, enviou Jesus dois dos seus discípulos e disse-lhes: Ide à aldeia que está defronte de vós; e logo que nela entrardes, encontrareis preso um jumentinho, em que ainda ninguém montou; desprendei-o e trazei-o. E se alguém vos perguntar: Por que fazeis isso? respondei: O Senhor precisa dele, e logo tornará a enviá-lo para aqui. Foram, pois, e acharam o jumentinho preso ao portão do lado de fora na rua, e o desprenderam. E alguns dos que ali estavam lhes perguntaram: Que fazeis, desprendendo o jumentinho? Responderam como Jesus lhes tinha mandado; e lho deixaram levar. Então trouxeram a Jesus o jumentinho e lançaram sobre ele os seus mantos; e Jesus montou nele. Muitos também estenderam pelo caminho os seus mantos, e outros, ramagens que tinham cortado nos campos. E tanto os que o precediam como os que o seguiam, clamavam: Hosana! bendito o que vem em nome do Senhor! Bendito o reino que vem, o reino de nosso pai Davi! Hosana nas alturas! Tendo Jesus entrado em Jerusalém, foi ao templo; e tendo observado tudo em redor, como já fosse tarde, saiu para Betânia com os doze. No dia seguinte, depois de saírem de Betânia teve fome, e avistando de longe uma figueira que tinha folhas, foi ver se, porventura, acharia nela alguma coisa; e chegando a ela, nada achou senão folhas, porque não era tempo de figos. E Jesus, falando, disse à figueira: Nunca mais coma alguém fruto de ti. E seus discípulos ouviram isso. Chegaram, pois, a Jerusalém. E entrando ele no templo, começou a expulsar os que ali vendiam e compravam; e derribou as mesas dos cambistas, e as cadeiras dos que vendiam pombas; e não consentia que ninguém atravessasse o templo levando qualquer utensílio; e ensinava, dizendo-lhes: Não está escrito: A minha casa será chamada casa de oração para todas as nações? Vós, porém, a tendes feito covil de salteadores. Ora, os principais sacerdotes e os escribas ouviram isto, e procuravam um modo de o matar; pois o temiam, porque toda a multidão se maravilhava da sua doutrina. Ao cair da tarde, saíam da cidade. Quando passavam na manhã seguinte, viram que a figueira tinha secado desde as raízes. Então Pedro, lembrando-se, disse-lhe: Olha, Mestre, secou-se a figueira que amaldiçoaste. Respondeu-lhes Jesus: Tende fé em Deus. Em verdade vos digo que qualquer que disser a este monte: Ergue-te e lança-te no mar; e não duvidar em seu coração, mas crer que se fará aquilo que diz, assim lhe será feito. Por isso vos digo que tudo o que pedirdes em oração, crede que o recebereis, e tê-lo-eis. Quando estiverdes orando, perdoai, se tendes alguma coisa contra alguém, para que também vosso Pai que está no céu, vos perdoe as vossas ofensas. {Mas, se vós não perdoardes, também vosso Pai, que está no céu, não vos perdoará as vossas ofensas.} Vieram de novo a Jerusalém. E andando Jesus pelo templo, aproximaram-se dele os principais sacerdotes, os escribas e os anciãos, que lhe perguntaram: Com que autoridade fazes tu estas coisas? ou quem te deu autoridade para fazê-las? Respondeu-lhes Jesus: Eu vos perguntarei uma coisa; respondei-me, pois, e eu vos direi com que autoridade faço estas coisas. O batismo de João era do céu, ou dos homens? respondei-me. Ao que eles arrazoavam entre si: Se dissermos: Do céu, ele dirá: Então por que não o crestes? Mas diremos, porventura: Dos homens?-É que temiam o povo; porque todos verdadeiramente tinham a João como profeta. Responderam, pois, a Jesus: Não sabemos. Replicou-lhes ele: Nem eu vos digo com que autoridade faço estas coisas.

Oração vespertina — primeira leitura

Judith 8

Não existe nenhuma edição de domínio público deste livro na sua língua, pelo que esta passagem é apresentada em inglês.

In those days Judith heard about this. She was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the son of Elkiah, the son of Ananias, the son of Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Ahitub, the son of Elihu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Salamiel, the son of Salasadai, the son of Israel. Her husband was Manasses, of her tribe and of her family. He died in the days of barley harvest. For he stood over those who bound sheaves in the field, and the heat came upon his head, and he fell on his bed, and died in his city Bethulia. So they buried him with his fathers in the field which is between Dothaim and Balamon. Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months. She made herself a tent upon the roof of her house, and put on sackcloth upon her loins. The garments of her widowhood were upon her. And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the eves of the Sabbaths, the Sabbaths, the eves of the new moons, the new moons, and the feasts and joyful days of the house of Israel. She was of a goodly countenance, and exceeding beautiful to behold. Her husband Manasses had left her gold, silver, menservants, maidservants, cattle, and lands. She remained on those lands. No one said anything evil about her; for she feared God exceedingly. She heard the evil words of the people against the governor, because they fainted for lack of water; and Judith heard all the words that Ozias spoke to them, how he swore to them that he would deliver the city to the Assyrians after five days. So she sent her maid, who was over all things that she had, to summon Ozias, Chabris, and Charmis, the elders of her city. They came to her, and she said to them, “Hear me now, O you rulers of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your word that you have spoken before the people this day is not right. You have set the oath which you have pronounced between God and you, and have promised to deliver the city to our enemies, unless within these days the Lord turns to help you. Now who are you that you have tempted God this day, and stand in the place of God among the children of men? Now try the Lord Almighty, and you will never know anything. For you will not find the depth of the heart of man, and you will not perceive the things that he thinks. How will you search out God, who has made all these things, and know his mind, and comprehend his purpose? No, my kindred, don’t provoke the Lord our God to anger! For if he has not decided to help us within these five days, he has power to defend us in such time as he will, or to destroy us before the face of our enemies. But don’t you pledge the counsels of the Lord our God! For God is not as man, that he should be threatened; neither as the son of man, that he should be turned by entreaty. Therefore let’s wait for the salvation that comes from him, and call upon him to help us. He will hear our voice, if it pleases him. For there arose none in our age, neither is there any of us today, tribe, or kindred, or family, or city, which worship gods made with hands, as it was in the former days; for which cause our fathers were given to the sword, and for plunder, and fell with a great fall before our enemies. But we know no other god beside him. Therefore we hope that he will not despise us, nor any of our race. For if we are taken so, all Judea will sit upon the ground, and our sanctuary will be plundered; and he will require our blood for profaning it. And the slaughter of our kindred, and the captivity of the land, and the desolation of our inheritance, will he turn upon our heads among the Gentiles, wherever we will be in bondage. We will be an offense and a reproach before those who take us for a possession. For our bondage will not be ordered to favor; but the Lord our God will turn it to dishonor. And now, kindred, let us show an example to our kindred, because their soul hangs upon us, and the sanctuary, the house, and the altar rest upon us. Besides all this let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who tries us, even as he did our fathers also. Remember all the things which he did to Abraham, and all the things in which he tried Isaac, and all the things which happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother. For he has not tried us in the fire, as he did them, to search out their hearts, neither has he taken vengeance on us; but the Lord does scourge them that come near to him, to admonish them.” And Ozias said to her, “All that you have spoken, you have spoken with a good heart. There is no one who will deny your words. For this is not the first day wherein your wisdom is manifested; but from the beginning of your days all the people have known your understanding, because the disposition of your heart is good. But the people were exceedingly thirsty, and compelled us to do as we spoke to them, and to bring an oath upon ourselves, which we will not break. And now pray you for us, because you are a godly woman, and the Lord will send us rain to fill our cisterns, and we will faint no more.” Then Judith said to them, “Hear me, and I will do a thing, which will go down to all generations among the children of our race. You shall all stand at the gate tonight. I will go out with my maid. Within the days after which you said that you would deliver the city to our enemies, the Lord will visit Israel by my hand. But you shall not inquire of my act; for I will not declare it to you, until the things are finished that I will do.” Then Ozias and the rulers said to her, “Go in peace. May the Lord God be before you, to take vengeance on our enemies.” So they returned from the tent, and went to their stations.

Oração vespertina — segunda leitura

2 Coríntios 7

Ora, amados, visto que temos tais promessas, purifiquemo-nos de toda a imundícia da carne e do espírito, aperfeiçoando a santidade no temor de Deus. Recebei-nos em vossos corações; a ninguém fizemos injustiça, a ninguém corrompemos, a ninguém exploramos. Não o digo para vos condenar, pois já tenho declarado que estais em nossos corações para juntos morrermos e juntos vivermos. Grande é a minha franqueza para convosco, e muito me glorio a respeito de vós; estou cheio de consolação, transbordo de gozo em todas as nossas tribulações. Porque, mesmo quando chegamos à Macedônia, a nossa carne não teve repouso algum; antes em tudo fomos atribulados: por fora combates, temores por dentro. Mas Deus, que consola os abatidos, nos consolou com a vinda de Tito; e não somente com a sua vinda, mas também pela consolação com que foi consolado a vosso respeito, enquanto nos referia as vossas saudações, o vosso pranto, o vosso zelo por mim, de modo que ainda mais me regozijei. Porquanto, ainda que vos contristei com a minha carta, não me arrependo; embora antes me tivesse arrependido {pois vejo que aquela carta vos contristou, ainda que por pouco tempo}, agora folgo, não porque fostes contristados, mas porque o fostes para o arrependimento; pois segundo Deus fostes contristados, para que por nós não sofrêsseis dano em coisa alguma. Porque a tristeza segundo Deus opera arrependimento para a salvação, o qual não traz pesar; mas a tristeza do mundo opera a morte. Pois vêde quanto cuidado não produziu em vós isto mesmo, o serdes contristados segundo Deus! sim, que defesa própria, que indignação, que temor, que saudades, que zelo, que vingança! Em tudo provastes estar inocentes nesse negócio. Portanto, ainda que vos escrevi, não foi por causa do que fez o mal, nem por causa do que o sofreu, mas para que fosse manifesto, diante de Deus, o vosso grande cuidado por nós. Por isso temos sido consolados. E em nossa consolação nos alegramos ainda muito mais pela alegria de Tito, porque o seu espírito tem sido recreado por vós todos. Porque, se em alguma coisa me gloriei de vós para com ele, não fiquei envergonhado; mas como vos dissemos tudo com verdade, assim também o louvor que de vós fizemos a Tito se achou verdadeiro. E o seu entranhável afeto para convosco é mais abundante, lembrando-se da obediência de vós todos, e de como o recebestes com temor e tremor. Regozijo-me porque em tudo tenho confiança em vós.