*Divine signs and synchronicities? Just yesterday (visiting relatives after several years) I saw my mother's Bible on a shelf, and 'randomly' opened it exactly to Ezra 7-8 (as in your link). And then, today's mass readings also seem totally in synch with the return and restoration of the People and President Trump:
First Reading
JEREMIAH 20:10-13
For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD of hosts, who triest the righteous, who seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause. Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
Responsorial Psalm
PSALMS 18:2-7
I love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Gospel
JOHN 10:31-42
The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God." Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." And many believed in him there.
'We've been looking at the book of Ezra for the past few weeks. Ezra is all about restoration. When Judah was at their lowest point, in exile in Babylon 400 miles away from home, with Jerusalem completely destroyed, God graciously stepped in and restored his people. We've been looking at how this happened in unexpected ways as they faced all kinds of obstacles.
This isn't just a story about what God did long ago and far away. It was written later to encourage God's people later that God still watches over and restores his people, even when things hopeless...'
*Divine signs and synchronicities? Just yesterday (visiting relatives after several years) I saw my mother's Bible on a shelf, and 'randomly' opened it exactly to Ezra 7-8 (as in your link). And then, today's mass readings also seem totally in synch with the return and restoration of the People and President Trump:
First Reading
JEREMIAH 20:10-13
For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him, and take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD of hosts, who triest the righteous, who seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause. Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
Responsorial Psalm
PSALMS 18:2-7
I love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Gospel
JOHN 10:31-42
The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God." Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law,
I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world,You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." And many believed in him there.More on Ezra 7-8:
https://www.dashhouse.com/2007624gods-role-and-ours-ezra-7-8-html God's Role and Ours (Ezra 7-8)
'We've been looking at the book of Ezra for the past few weeks. Ezra is all about restoration. When Judah was at their lowest point, in exile in Babylon 400 miles away from home, with Jerusalem completely destroyed, God graciously stepped in and restored his people. We've been looking at how this happened in unexpected ways as they faced all kinds of obstacles.
This isn't just a story about what God did long ago and far away. It was written later to encourage God's people later that God still watches over and restores his people, even when things hopeless...'
God lets us know that he is the "God of reality"
...and may he bless you richly for your wonderfully enlightened observations...
Kind :)
...it is sad that this post was stricken from the board....