Tuesday – St Lucia, virg. and mar.

Tuesday – St Lucia, virg. and mar.

 

St Lucia was born in Sicily in 283
Lived during Christian persecution under
emperor Diocletian. She died in Syracuise in 304

 

Invitation

May I hereby draw your attention to
daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation wants to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every morning from 7 a.m.

Consideration
Who is the eldest son? Who is the youngest? According to the text, the eldest son refers to the high priests and elders. They think they are pleasing and serving God. They say yes, but close their hearts and do no.
The youngest son, these are the tax collectors and fornicating women. They act wrongly, but repent and listen to Jesus. Their no becomes ‘yes’. Along the first reading, the liturgy tells us who else could be the youngest son: The Gentiles, all the nations who are called and come to repentance. That’s us. We come from the Gentiles. Yet we do not automatically belong to Jesus. Sometimes we too say ‘no’. Are we ready for repentance and conversion?

 

FIRST READING      Seph. 3, 1-2. 9-13 

Messianic salvation is promised to the poor.

From the Prophet Sephaniah

Woe to the unruly, defiled, violent city!
She listens to no admonition,
it will know of no instruction,
it trusts not in the Lord
and does not approach its God.
I will give the nations
other, clean lips.
Then they will all call on the name of the Lord
and serve Him in unison.
From across the rivers of Ethiopia,
whither they are scattered,
they will bring their sacrifices to Me, those who worship Me.
Then no crime shall be committed among you against Me any more
of which ye have to be ashamed,
for I will remove from among you
the proud show-offs ;
on My holy mountain
you will no longer misbehave.
I will leave with you only
a humble, modest people,
who take refuge in the name of the Lord :
The rest of Israel.
They commit no more injustice,
they no longer tell lies
and in their mouths there is no more guileful tongue to be found.
They shall pasture and lie down quietly
without anyone startling them anymore.

INTERLUDIUM         Ps. 34(33), 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23

Who cry out in distress, to them the Lord listens.

The Lord I will praise every day,
His praise is always on my lips.
My spirit is proud of the Lord’s favour,
let every one who hears it rejoice.

Abide in Him, you will become happy,
for He does not disappoint you.
Who cry out in distress, to them the Lord listens
and rescues them from their misery.

From evildoers He turns His face away,
they are forgotten on earth.
To the pious who cry out the Lord listens
and rescues them from every need.

The Lord is near to grieving hearts,
He helps those who acknowledge their guilt.
The Lord saves the lives of those who serve Him,
all who flee to Him have no punishment to fear.

 

ALLELUIA

Alleluia.
The Lord comes to deliver His people ;
blessed are those who are ready to meet Him.
Alleluia.

 

GOSPEL           Mt 21:28-32

John came and sinners gave him faith.

From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew :

At that time Jesus said to the high priests
and the elders of the people :
“What do you think of the following?
“A man had two sons.
“He went to the first one and said :
My son, go and work in my vineyard today.
“Good father, replied this one,
but he did not do it.
“Then he went to the second and said the same thing.
“This one replied : Nay, I will not ;
but later he regretted it and went anyway.
“Now which of the two did his father’s will ?”
They said :
“The last one.”
Then Jesus said to them :
“Verily, I say to you :
The tax collectors and the lewd women
enter the kingdom of God before you.
“John came to you and practised righteousness ;
yet ye gave him no faith,
while the tax collectors and fornicators
did give him faith.
“But even after thou hadst seen this,
yet you did not repent
and thou gavest him no faith.”

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Laudato Si

Encyclic of

POPE FRANCIS

On caring for the common home

18. The constant acceleration of the changes of humanity and the planet today is accompanied by an intensification of the rhythm of life and work in what some call in Spanish “rapidación” (acceleration). Although change is part of the dynamics of complex systems, the speed that human activities impose on them today is in contrast to the natural slowness of biological evolution. Added to this is the problem that the goals of this rapid and constant change are not necessarily aimed at the overall well-being and sustainable and integral human development. Change is something desirable but becomes worrisome when it turns into a deterioration of the world and the quality of life of a large part of humanity.