Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 15 February 2018

A bit of  a sad day for me.  Today would have been my mother's birthday.  She passed over back in 2007.  She would have been 100 years old today.  Seems impossible, but she was the youngest in the family and didn't get married until she was 30 years old, an "old maid" in that time and in that culture.  She was born at home in Volant Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.  When she passed, we were living nearly a thousand miles away, lucky to make a visit of a few days, twice a year.  We'd been unable to see her very much for more than 15 years, and really only a few times a  year when we were "only" 25 miles away or so.  But I have good memories of her, and suspect that I'll be seeing her again, soon too perhaps.  But I do miss her, and wish desperately that I'd been able to be around her more.
So, it is a bit of a "downer" day just for that reason.

The news is full of the mass shooting at the high school in Florida yesterday.  17 dead, last I heard.  I understand that there was a security guard present, but that the "usual suspects" have enacted rules forbidding that person from being armed.  He saved a number of lives, but lost his own in so doing.  Carefully not mentioned in most of the accounts from the Lame Stream Media is that he was wearing a t-shirt proclaiming his solidarity with "antifa", or that he'd posted on social media both some violent threats against that school, interspersed with proclamations of "Allahu akbar".  So probably not an Amish kid on rumspringa, you think?

It was supposed to be all the way up to the 50's today, and above freezing again tonight.  We've made the 50's ok.  But starting to rain, something that is expected to get heavy later.  But we don't have to shovel rain, which is something.  To be barely above freezing for the "highs" on tomorrow and Saturday.  And snow likely.  But we're in the 2nd half of February now, a "day" of 10 hours 38 minutes and picking up 2 minutes 34 seconds tomorrow, so the 11  hour "day" is not too far off.  First day of Spring about 5 weeks off, and the beginning of Daylight Savings Time to be March 11.  Good signs, all of them.

A bit of an odd mood.  Was involved in a "frank and earnest exchange of views" earlier with someone I've known literally my whole life.  He's really really into the lefty-lib fad of the day or the week, has been for about the last 45 years or so.  Good guy, all in all.  But generally wrong.  Right now he's into the "hurray for the 'undocumented' aliens" and the Moslem "refugees" (rapefugees is more nearly correct).  Well into the "no borders" and "make America Mexico again" and the like.  I am not so inclined, having seen at all too close a distance the damage that individuals from both groups are doing all around the country and around the world.  He's quite upset with me right now.   Oh, well.

But then.  Wife is next door to "watch" the great-niece and great-nephew.  Good for all of them.  But Niece just called me to ask that I check on a feral cat that is between our place and the neighbor on the other side.  I did.  Feral cat.  Alive, but probably not for long.  We can;t afford the veterinarian's tab for our own inside cats, one of which probably needs it, so hauling this one off is out of the question.  We're barely feeding our own cats (and I could do without them but Wife vetoed the idea), so there's not much to be done.
Seems to me that the feral cat is more deserving of sympathy than a drug "mule" coming over the border with a rucksack of heroin or fentanyl, but the libs see it otherwise.

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Today's reading in the Old Testament has us taking up the book of Leviticus, chapters 1 and 2

Leviticus 1

 1  And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

3  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.

4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

5  And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

6  And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.

7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:

8  And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

10  And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.

11  And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

12  And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:

13  But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

14  And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.

15  And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar

16  And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:his feathers: or, the filth thereof

17  And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

Leviticus 2

1  And when any will offer a grain offering unto the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

2  And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord:

3  And the remnant of the grain offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

4  And if thou bring an oblation of a grain offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5  And if thy oblation be a grain offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

6  Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a grain offering.

7  And if thy oblation be a grain offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8  And thou shalt bring the grain offering that is made of these things unto the Lord: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.

9  And the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.

10  And that which is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.

11  No grain offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.

12  As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the Lord: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.be burnt:

13  And every oblation of thy grain offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy grain offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

14  And if thou offer a grain offering of thy firstfruits unto the Lord, thou shalt offer for the grain offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.

15  And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a grain offering.

16  And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

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In the day's Poetry section, we have Psalm 34
In this case, the name of Abimelech refers to a king of Gath, an enemy nation.  See 1st Samuel 21:10 -- 22:1

Psalm 34

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

1  I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4  I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5  They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed

6  This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7  The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8  O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9  O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11  Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12  What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15  The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16  The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17  The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18  The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit

19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21  Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.desolate: or, guilty

22  The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

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Our New Testament passage is chapter 6 in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6

1  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

2  And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

7  And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

8  And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

9  But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

10  And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

11   And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

12  And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

13  And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

14  And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

15  Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

16  But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

17  For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

18  For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

19  Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

20  For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21  And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

22  And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23  And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

24  And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

25  And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

26  And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

27  And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

28  And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

29  And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

30  And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

31  And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

32  And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

33  And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

34  And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

35  And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

36  Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

37  He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

38  He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

39  And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

40  And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

41  And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

42  And they did all eat, and were filled.

43  And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

44  And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

45  And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

46  And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

47  And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

48  And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

49  But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

50  For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

51  And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

52  For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

53  And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

54  And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

55  And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

56  And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.