You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Sabbaths, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh Sabbath, you shall count, fifty days… (Leviticus 23:15-16.)
God instructed His people to count the days between Passover and the Feast of Pentecost (see Leviticus 23:16). This 50-day period is known as “Counting of the Omer,” which reminds us of the link between Passover and Pentecost, which celebrates the Giving of the Law in the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah) and the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. An “Omer” [OH-mer] is a unit of measurement for grain in ancient Israel. Counting the Omer began with the symbolic offering of an omer, or sheaf, of barley (i.e., “First Fruits”) in the Temple and continued up until the day before an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on the day of Pentecost or Shavuot [sha-voo-OAT].
HOW TO COUNT THE OMER
- Each night gather to pray this prayer: “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.”
- Next, read the Bible verse(s) associated with each day. Take a few moments to discuss or to reflect (Lectio Divina).
- Next, pray Jesus’ “Model Prayer” (“Our Father…”)
- Finally, color in or mark out the appropriate day of the Omer.
OMER SCRIPTURES
(April 20, 2019)
50. Luke 24:1-7 25. Matthew 6:19-21
49. Luke 24:13-34 (Resurrection) 24. Matthew 6:22-24
48. Matthew 4:23-25 23. Matthew 6:25-32
47. Matthew 5:1-2 22. Matthew 6:33-34
46. Matthew 5:3 21. Matthew 7:1-6
45. Matthew 5:4 20. Matthew 7:7-11
44. Mathew 5:5 19. Matthew 7:12
43. Matthew 5:6 18. Matthew 7:13-14
42. Matthew 5:7 17. Matthew 7:15-20
41. Matthew 5:8 16. Matthew 7:21-23
40. Matthew 5:9 15. Matthew 7:24-27
39. Matthew 5:10-12 14. Matthew 7:28-29
38. Matthew 5:13 13. Matthew 28:18-20
37. Matthew 5:14-16 12. Matthew 28:18-20
36. Matthew 5:17-20 11. Luke 24:44-49
35. Matthew 5:21-26 10. Luke 24:50-53 (Ascension)
34. Matthew 5:27-30 9. John 14:15-17
33. Matthew 5:31-32 8. Jon 14:18-21
32. Matthew 5:33-37 7. John 14:22-24
31. Matthew 5:38-42 6. John 14:25-27
30. Matthew 5:43-48 5. John 14:28-31
29. Matthew 6:1-4 4. Isaiah 11:1-5
28. Matthew 6:5-8 3. John 1:32-34
27. Matthew 6:9-15 2. Genesis 11:1-9
26. Matthew 6:16-18 1. Joel 2:28-39 &
Acts 2:1-6
(June 8, 2019, PENTECOST!)
