{"id":16167,"date":"2025-12-13T19:31:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T00:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/?p=16167"},"modified":"2025-12-12T14:55:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T19:55:32","slug":"devotional-for-december-14-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/?p=16167","title":{"rendered":"Devotional for December 14 &#8211; 20"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"poetry top-1\">\n<p class=\"line\">\n<p>Sunday<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This week prophecies of the Old Testament about the coming Christ<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-65\" class=\"text Gen-3-9\"><sup class=\"versenum\">Genesis 3: 9\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-66\" class=\"text Gen-3-10\"><sup class=\"versenum\">10\u00a0<\/sup>And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-67\" class=\"text Gen-3-11\"><sup class=\"versenum\">11\u00a0<\/sup>And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-68\" class=\"text Gen-3-12\"><sup class=\"versenum\">12\u00a0<\/sup>And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-69\" class=\"text Gen-3-13\"><sup class=\"versenum\">13\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord God said to the woman: Why hast thou done this? And she answered: The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-70\" class=\"text Gen-3-14\"><sup class=\"versenum\">14\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-71\" class=\"text Gen-3-15\"><sup class=\"versenum\">15\u00a0<\/sup>I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"poetry top-1\">\n<p>+ The seed of the woman is Jesus, son of Mary.\u00a0 Conflict between the two will come with the more serious &#8216;crush&#8217; to the head of the snake, the Devil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0\u00a0 For as many have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ\u2026Alleluia<\/p>\n<p>Monday<br \/>\nIsaiah 7:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20624\" class=\"text Isa-7-3\"><sup class=\"versenum\">3\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord said to Isaias: Go forth to meet Achaz, thou and Jasub thy son that is left, to the conduit of the upper pool, a in the way of the fuller&#8217;s held.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20625\" class=\"text Isa-7-4\"><sup class=\"versenum\">4\u00a0<\/sup>And thou shalt say to him: See thou be quiet: fear not, and let not thy heart be afraid of the two tails of these fire brands, smoking with the wrath of the fury of Rasin king of Syria, and of the son of Romelia&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20631\" class=\"text Isa-7-10\"><sup class=\"versenum\">10\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20632\" class=\"text Isa-7-11\"><sup class=\"versenum\">11\u00a0<\/sup>Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20633\" class=\"text Isa-7-12\"><sup class=\"versenum\">12\u00a0<\/sup>And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20634\" class=\"text Isa-7-13\"><sup class=\"versenum\">13\u00a0<\/sup>And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20635\" class=\"text Isa-7-14\"><sup class=\"versenum\">14\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20636\" class=\"text Isa-7-15\"><sup class=\"versenum\">15\u00a0<\/sup>He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>+The Virgin Birth is prophecied\u00a0 clearly and Emanuel means\u00a0 &#8216;God with Us&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0 Our Father, Who art in \u00a0Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday<br \/>\nMicah 5:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse chapter-1\"><span id=\"en-DRA-25859\" class=\"text Mic-5-1\">Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-25860\" class=\"text Mic-5-2\"><sup class=\"versenum\">2\u00a0<\/sup>AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-25861\" class=\"text Mic-5-3\"><sup class=\"versenum\">3\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-25862\" class=\"text Mic-5-4\"><sup class=\"versenum\">4\u00a0<\/sup>And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-25863\" class=\"text Mic-5-5\"><sup class=\"versenum\">5\u00a0<\/sup>And this man shall be our peace,<\/span><\/p>\n<p>+ The birth of the Savior is prophesied in Bethlehem 700 years before Jesus is born there.<\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0 O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wednesday<br \/>\nIsaiah 40:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse chapter-2\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21260\" class=\"text Isa-40-1\">Be comforted, be comforted, my people, saith your God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21261\" class=\"text Isa-40-2\"><sup class=\"versenum\">2\u00a0<\/sup>Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her: for her evil is come to an end, her iniquity is forgiven: she hath received of the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21262\" class=\"text Isa-40-3\"><sup class=\"versenum\">3\u00a0<\/sup>The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21263\" class=\"text Isa-40-4\"><sup class=\"versenum\">4\u00a0<\/sup>Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21264\" class=\"text Isa-40-5\"><sup class=\"versenum\">5\u00a0<\/sup>And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21265\" class=\"text Isa-40-6\"><sup class=\"versenum\">6\u00a0<\/sup>The voice of one, saying: Cry. And I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the held.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21266\" class=\"text Isa-40-7\"><sup class=\"versenum\">7\u00a0<\/sup>The grass is withered, and the dower is fallen, because the spirit of the Lord hath blown upon it. Indeed the people is grass:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21267\" class=\"text Isa-40-8\"><sup class=\"versenum\">8\u00a0<\/sup>The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of our Lord endureth for ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21268\" class=\"text Isa-40-9\"><sup class=\"versenum\">9\u00a0<\/sup>Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Sion: lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem: lift it up, fear not. Say to the cities of Juda: Behold your God:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21269\" class=\"text Isa-40-10\"><sup class=\"versenum\">10\u00a0<\/sup>Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0\u00a0 Create in me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me.\u00a0 Cast me not from thy presence nor take thy Holy Spirit from me.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and by thy governing spirit establish me.<br \/>\n+John the Baptist is foretold and the messenger preparing the way of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thursday<\/p>\n<p>Isaiah 9:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse chapter-1\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20669\" class=\"text Isa-9-1\">At the first time the land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephtali was lightly touched: and at the last the way of the sea beyond the Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was heavily loaded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20670\" class=\"text Isa-9-2\"><sup class=\"versenum\">2\u00a0<\/sup>The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20671\" class=\"text Isa-9-3\"><sup class=\"versenum\">3\u00a0<\/sup>Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee, as they that rejoice in the harvest, as conquerors rejoice after taking a prey, when they divide the spoils.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-20672\" class=\"text Isa-9-4\"><sup class=\"versenum\">4\u00a0<\/sup>For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor thou hast overcome, as in the day of Median.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>+ Galilee is foretold as the home of the Messiah and this is where Christ lived for 30 years.\u00a0 The light of His teaching eventually shown to all corners of Israel.<br \/>\nPsalm 21:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-14979\" class=\"text Ps-21-18\"><sup class=\"versenum\">18\u00a0<\/sup>They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-14980\" class=\"text Ps-21-19\"><sup class=\"versenum\">19\u00a0<\/sup>They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>+ Even the gambling of the Roman soldiers for the Lord&#8217;s garment is foretold.<\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0 Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.<br \/>\nV. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.<br \/>\nR. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.<br \/>\n*Salve Regina<\/p>\n<p>Friday<br \/>\nZechariah 9<span id=\"en-DRA-26232\" class=\"text Zech-9-9\"><sup class=\"versenum\">9\u00a0<\/sup>Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: BEHOLD THY KING will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Zechariah 11:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-26262\" class=\"text Zech-11-10\"><sup class=\"versenum\">10\u00a0<\/sup>And I took my rod that was called Beauty, and I cut it asunder to make void my covenant, which I had made with all people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-26263\" class=\"text Zech-11-11\"><sup class=\"versenum\">11\u00a0<\/sup>And it was made void in that day: and so the poor of the flock that keep for me, understood that it is the word of the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-26264\" class=\"text Zech-11-12\"><sup class=\"versenum\">12\u00a0<\/sup>And I said to them: If it be good in your eyes, bring hither my wages: and if not, be quiet. And they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-26265\" class=\"text Zech-11-13\"><sup class=\"versenum\">13\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord said to me: Cast it to the statuary, a handsome price, that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I cast them into the house of the Lord to the statuary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>+ Zechariah predicts Christ entering Jerusalem on the donkey and the 30 pieces of silver for Judas&#8217; betrayal.\u00a0 The breaking of the covenant\u00a0 (Beauty) announces the coming end of the Old and the beginning of the New Covenant.<\/p>\n<p>Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Saturday<br \/>\nIsaiah 53:<\/p>\n<p class=\"verse chapter-2\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21551\" class=\"text Isa-53-1\">Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21552\" class=\"text Isa-53-2\"><sup class=\"versenum\">2\u00a0<\/sup>And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21553\" class=\"text Isa-53-3\"><sup class=\"versenum\">3\u00a0<\/sup>Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21554\" class=\"text Isa-53-4\"><sup class=\"versenum\">4\u00a0<\/sup>Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21555\" class=\"text Isa-53-5\"><sup class=\"versenum\">5\u00a0<\/sup>But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21556\" class=\"text Isa-53-6\"><sup class=\"versenum\">6\u00a0<\/sup>All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21557\" class=\"text Isa-53-7\"><sup class=\"versenum\">7\u00a0<\/sup>He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21558\" class=\"text Isa-53-8\"><sup class=\"versenum\">8\u00a0<\/sup>He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21559\" class=\"text Isa-53-9\"><sup class=\"versenum\">9\u00a0<\/sup>And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21560\" class=\"text Isa-53-10\"><sup class=\"versenum\">10\u00a0<\/sup>And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21561\" class=\"text Isa-53-11\"><sup class=\"versenum\">11\u00a0<\/sup>Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"verse\"><span id=\"en-DRA-21562\" class=\"text Isa-53-12\"><sup class=\"versenum\">12\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>*The entire chapter is a description of Christ&#8217;s Passion.<\/p>\n<p>Prayer:\u00a0 Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.\u00a0 As it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be, world without end.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday This week prophecies of the Old Testament about the coming Christ Genesis 3: 9\u00a0And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou? 10\u00a0And he said: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-orthodox-daily-devotional","has_no_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16167"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16170,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16167\/revisions\/16170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}