Daily Reading for Thursday, November 14th, 2024

Reading 1, Philemon 1:7-20

⁷ I have received much joy and encouragement by your love; you have set the hearts of God's holy people at rest.

⁸ Therefore, although in Christ I have no hesitations about telling you what your duty is,

⁹ I am rather appealing to your love, being what I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus.

¹¹ He was of no use to you before, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back to you -- that is to say, sending you my own heart.

¹³ I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the gospel has brought me.

¹⁴ However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous.

¹⁵ I suppose you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, merely so that you could have him back for ever,

¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both on the natural plane and in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you grant me any fellowship with yourself, welcome him as you would me;

¹⁸ if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, put it down to my account.

¹⁹ I am writing this in my own hand: I, Paul, shall pay it back -- I make no mention of a further debt, that you owe your very self to me!

²⁰ Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; set my heart at rest, in Christ.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

⁷ gives justice to the oppressed, gives food to the hungry; Yahweh sets prisoners free.

⁸ Yahweh gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down.

⁹ Yahweh protects the stranger, he sustains the orphan and the widow. Yahweh loves the upright,but he frustrates the wicked.

¹⁰ Yahweh reigns for ever, your God, Zion, from age to age.

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