Data for Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Saint of the Day --- Agnes (291-304) of Rome, a martyr

Scripture of the Day --- Mark 4:14-20 -- [Jesus explains to his disciples the Parable of the Sower who plants the seed by casting it over the ground.] "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones [the people who react like the soil] along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." (RSV)

Word of the Day --- barre --1) a handrail mounted on a wall of a ballet studio to help dancers maintain their balance; 2) a fingering technique for a stringed musical instrument with a fretboard, whereby a finger is laid across the strings along a fret so as to stop the sound. Photo uploaded from http://www.flickr.com , contributed by Oude School under Creative Commons copyright

Place of the Day --- Deir ez-Zor, Syria -- 35°19'58"N, 40°08'27"E --a city on the Euphrates River in Syria, about 80 miles upstream (NW) from Iraq; it is a district capital on Highway 7, about 250 miles ENE of the national capital Dimashq (Damacus). Photo of an iconic Euphrates River bridge uploaded from http://www.flickr.com , contributed by hazy jenius under Creative Commons copyright.