https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2023/documents/20231101-angelus.html :
Apostolic Exhortation Gaudate et exsultate, 15 :
Apostolic Constitution Veritatis gaudium (2017) :
Jesus, ruler/shepherd of Israel, by the power and glorious name of the Lord his God(, i don’t know why some people insist on adopting a literalist view, atheists at least should see that it wasn’t meant to be taken literally) : Micah 5:1-5 :
Jerusalem, enemy troops have surrounded you ; they have struck Israel’s ruler in the face with a stick.
Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But the Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation— someone whose family goes back to ancient times.
The Lord will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel.
Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the Lord his God.
His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness, because he will bring peace.
Let Assyria attack our country and our palaces. We will counterattack, led by a number of rulers whose strong army will defeat the nation of Assyria. Yes, our leaders will rescue us, if those Assyrians dare to invade our land.
A few of Jacob’s descendants survived and are scattered among the nations. But the Lord will let them cover the earth like dew and rain that refreshes the soil.
I know that it’s not really hidden, no scholar ignore(d) this(, and many other prophecies were realized), and while some may think that the authors ignored their existence beforehand and it’s all just a miraculous coincidence, most of them know. In both cases, none of them/us would be christians just because a book says so, we agree with the (old )message/promise(, mainly virtue/love/… and ((my/)our/Our )God, the One/Source/Maximum/Light/Cause/End/…)
The verse 7:27, is about Bethlehem as well :
[25] Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill ? [26] Yet here he is, speaking for everyone to hear. And no one is arguing with him.
Do you suppose the authorities know he is the Messiah ? [27] But how could that be ? No one knows where the Messiah will come from, but we know where this man comes from.”
[28] As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he shouted, “Do you really think you know me and where I came from ?
I didn’t come on my own ! The one who sent me is truthful, and you don’t know him.
[29] But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him.”
[And if you don’t believe that you come from God, then it’s fair to assume that you don’t know God. Not 100% sure if it’s really the meaning though .]
[30] Some of the people wanted to arrest Jesus right then. But no one even laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come
And just before, John 7:22-24 :
Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons.
But it wasn’t really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons, in order to obey the Law of Moses.
Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath ? Don’t judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
[I find it respectful towards God to say that circumcision and other laws of the ~‘son of Man’ were given by our ancestors.
If his people continued to search earnestly for God(, and, e.g., looked at the spirit instead of the law, at the moon instead of the finger), then they would have recognised his message(, and probably wouldn’t need it), they would have been saved. ‘They doomed themselves’/‘We doomed ourselves’/‘I doomed myself’.]
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه :
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "God said, ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. [Can it not be said that, by definition, any help comes ((in)directly )from God, so that worthy/pious people are usually more successful/‘helped by God’ ?]
And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him ; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawâfil(, praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory,) till I love him.
Then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks (…)
(Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol.8, Hadîth No. 509).
Surah Al-Baqarah(, “The Cow”) 2:178:186 :
O you who believe ! Al-Qisâs(, the Law of Equality in punishment, lex talionis) is prescribed for you in case of murder : the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.
But if the killer is forgiven by the brother/relatives of the killed against blood-money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood-money to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord.
So after this whoever transgresses the limits, he shall have a painful torment.
And there is (a saving of )life for you in Al-Qisâs/‘the Law of Equality in punishment’, O men of understanding, that you may become pious/righteous.
It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves wealth, that he makes a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable manners. (This is )a duty upon the pious/righteous.
Then, whoever changes the bequest after hearing it, the sin shall be on those who make the change. Truly, God is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
But he who fears from a testator some unjust act or wrong-doing, and thereupon he makes peace between the parties concerned, there shall be no sin on him. Certainly, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
O you who believe ! Observing fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious/righteous.
(You should observe fasts )for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number( should be made up) from other days.
And as for those who can fast with difficulty(, e.g., an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or )to feed a poor person(, for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him.
And that you fast is better for you if only you know.
The month of Ramadan( is the one during) which was revealed the Qur’ân, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion( between right and wrong).
So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of )the month( of Ramadan), he must observe fasts that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number( of days which one did not observe fasts) from other days.
God intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you )must complete the same number( of days), and that you must magnify God(, i.e., to say Takbîr : Allâhu Akbar, God is the Most Great,) for having guided you, so that you may be grateful to Him.
And when My slaves ask you( O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning Me, then( answer them), I am indeed near. [nearer than my own atoms, yet far from my (imperfect )thoughts(, the/Your Light guides fortunately), nor prayed&searched enough]
I respond [e.g.] to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me.
So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.
Narrated Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullâh :
A bedouin with unkempt hair came to God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and said, “O God’s Messenger ! Inform me what God has made compulsory for me as regards the prayers.”
He replied : “You have to offer perfectly the five compulsory prayers in a day and night(, 24 hours), unless you want to pray Nawâfil .” [He also said elsewhere that prayers should be constant]
The bedouin further asked, “Inform me what God has made compulsory for me as regards fasting.”
He replied, “You have to fast during the whole month of Ramadân, unless you want to fast more as Nawâfil .”
The bedouin further asked, “Tell me how much Zakât God has enjoined on me.”
The narrator added : Then, God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم informed him all about the Laws(, i.e., fundamentals) of Islâm.
(…)
(Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Hadîth No.115, Vol.3).
Narrated Abû Hurairah رضي الله عنه :
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, " The fasting is Junnah(, a protection/shield/screen/shelter from the Hell/Fire). So, the person observing fasting should also avoid sexual relation with his wife, and should not behave foolishly and impudently ; and if somebody fights with him, or abuses him, he should say to him twice, ‘I am fasting.’
Narrated Abû Hurairah رضي الله عنه :
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever does not give up lying/‘false statements’, and acting on those( lies), and evil actions, etc., then God is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Hadîth No.127, Vol.3).
Saints of the day : All
(edit : starting from tomorrow i’ll write these posts in the morning instead)