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Our first reading is from Joshua 2:1-14

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two spies from Shittim. He sent them in secret. He said to them, \u201cGo and look over the land. Most of all, check out Jericho.\u201d So, they went to Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab.

The king of Jericho was told, \u201cLook! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight. They\u2019ve come to check out the land.\u201d So, the king sent a message to Rahab. It said, \u201cBring out the men who came into your house. They\u2019ve come to check out the whole land.\u201d

But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, \u201cIt\u2019s true that the men came here. But I didn\u2019t know where they had come from. They left at sunset, when it was time to close the city gate. I don\u2019t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them.\u201d But in fact, she had taken them up on the roof. There she had hidden them under some flax she had piled up. The king\u2019s men left to hunt down the spies. They took the road that leads to where the Jordan River can be crossed. As soon as they had gone out of the city, the gate was shut.

Rahab went up on the roof before the spies settled down for the night. She said to them, \u201cI know that the Lord has given you this land. We are very much afraid of you. Everyone who lives in this country is weak with fear because of you. We\u2019ve heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. We\u2019ve heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings. They ruled east of the Jordan River. You completely destroyed them. When we heard about it, we were terrified. Because of you, we aren\u2019t brave anymore. The Lord your God is the God who rules in heaven above and on the earth below.

\u201cNow then, please give me your word. Promise me in the name of the Lord that you will be kind to my family. I\u2019ve been kind to you. Promise me that you will spare the lives of my father and mother. Spare my brothers and sisters. Also spare everyone in their families. Promise that you won\u2019t put any of us to death.\u201d So the men made a promise to her. \u201cIf you save our lives, we\u2019ll save yours,\u201d they said. \u201cJust don\u2019t tell anyone what we\u2019re doing. Then we\u2019ll be kind and faithful to you when the Lord gives us the land.\u201d

Our Second Reading is from Hebrews 12:7-11

Put up with hard times. God uses them to train you. He is treating you as his children. What children are not trained by their parents? God trains all his children. But what if he doesn\u2019t train you? Then you are not really his children. You are not God\u2019s true sons and daughters at all. Besides, we have all had human fathers who trained us. We respected them for it. How much more should we be trained by the Father of spirits and live! Our parents trained us for a little while. They did what they thought was best. But God trains us for our good. He does this so we may share in his holiness. No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact, it seems painful. But later, it produces a harvest of godliness and peace. It does this for those who have been trained by it.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

\xa0Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.