Born 315. Bishop of Poitiers 353-368
Freed Gaul from the erroneous teachings of Arius
Invitation
May I draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants you to share in the joy
of the gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening his heart
for the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every morning from 7 a.m.
Consideration
‘Never will they enter into my peace and quiet.’ The thought of psalm 95 is continued in the lecture. Here the image of God, who rested from his work after six days of work, is used. We are invited to that sabbath rest, with God, if we listen to His Word and are not stubborn. This is how it is for man at the end of his life. This is how it is for mankind at the end of history. Rest here is the opposite of work and a symbol of eternal happiness with God. Think of our funeral liturgy: requiem aeternam; eternal rest we desire for our beloved dead. Think of Augustine: irrequietem cor nostrum. Our heart is restless until it finds rest with You.
FIRST READING Hebr. 4, 1-5.11
Let us make an effort to enter God’s peace.
From the letter to the Hebrews
Brothers and sisters,
As long as the divine promise of tranquillity is still valid
we have to make sure
that none of you would think it’s too late.
Because we too have heard the good news,
just like them,
were drawn out of Egypt under Moses.
But the word of the proclamation that they heard
didn’t benefit them,
because it was not accompanied by faith among the hearers.
We who have believed,
we enter that rest of which the Lord has said:
“I have sworn in my wrath.
they will never enter into my peace.”
Yet God’s work was finished from the creation of the world.
That follows from what we read about the seventh day:
“And God rested on the seventh day of all his work.”
And here we read :
“Never shall they enter into my rest.”
So let us make an effort to enter that rest.
Let no one fall down
by following the bad example of their disbelief.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 78(77), 3, 4bc, 5, 6, 7
Let us never forget what God has done.
All that we have heard and understood,
what the fathers told us,
the glory of the Lord, his mighty deeds,
the miracle signs He performed.
He has given his commandment to Jacob
and established it as law in Israel,
that which He revealed to the fathers
the sons would be announced ;
So that also those who will be born later
will realize it and in turn
pass on once more to their children.
After all, they too have to trust in God
and never forget what He did,
but keep his commandment.
ALLELUIA Ps. 95(94), 8ab
Alleluia.
Listen today to the voice of the Lord
and don’t be stubborn.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mc. 2, 1-12
The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Marcus
When Jesus had returned to Kafarnaum
and they heard he was at home,
people flocked into such a number,
that even the space in front of the door was no longer available
when he proclaimed his doctrine to them.
They came to bring a cripple to him
worn by four men.
Because they didn’t see a possibility because of the crowd
to bring him close to Jesus,
they uncovered the roof over the place where He was,
made an opening in it
and lowered the bed on which the lame was lying outstretched.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the cripple:
“My son, your sins are forgiven you.”
There were some scribes among them.
They said to themselves:
“What is that man saying there?
“He speaks blasphemous!
“Who else can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus knew by himself that they were reasoning like this.
and he said to them:
“What reason do you have for yourselves?
“What is easier, to say to the lame.
Your sins are forgiven you,
or :
Get up, take your bed and walk ?
“Well, that you may know
that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,
– He spoke to the lame –
“I tell you,
Get up, take your bed and go home.”
He got up, took his bed
and before all eyes he immediately went outside.
Everyone was amazed,
and they glorified God and said:
“We’ve never seen anything like it.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclics of
POPE FRANCIS
About caring for the common house
49.I would note that people are often not clearly aware of the problems that particularly affect the excluded. They are the majority of the planet, billions of people. They are mentioned in the international political and economic debate today, but most of the time it seems as if their problems are put forward as an appendage, as an issue added almost as obligatory or on the margins, if not already considered as a pure collateral damage. Indeed, at the time of concrete actualisation, they often come last. This is partly due to the fact that very many specialists, opinion makers, means of communication and centres of power are located far from them, in isolated urban areas, without direct contact with their problems. They live and think based on the convenience of a development and quality of life that is not within reach of most of the world’s population. This lack of physical contact and encounter, sometimes exacerbated by the fragmentation of our cities, helps to “cauterise” the conscience and ignore part of reality in partial analyses. This sometimes goes hand in hand with a “green” discourse. But today we cannot avoid recognising that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach, which must integrate justice into environmental discussions, to listen to both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
To be continued For all previous publications scroll down
The Bible text in this edition is taken from De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for the weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation