Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants to share with You the joy
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
In succession we have very serious passages about the high priest Jesus according to the manner of Melchisedec, about the cult of Old Covenant and New Covenant, and finally we will talk about old and new sacrifices. ‘He did this once and for all when He offered Himself as a sacrifice’. This is an extremely important sentence and the Eucharist we celebrate is not a repetition of Golgotha, but a making present of the Lord, who once and for all gave Himself, asking us to dedicate ourselves with Him, to be totally given with Him to the Father.
FIRST READING Hebrews 7:25-8:6
Once for all our High Priest offered a sacrifice
when He offered Himself as a sacrifice.
From the letter to the Hebrews
Brothers and sisters,
Christ is able to save those
who approach God through His intervention,
are saved forever
since He always lives to intercede for them.
Such a high priest we also needed :
One who is holy, guiltless, unstained,
separate from sinners,
high above the heavens.
Nor does He have to be like the high priests,
to offer sacrifices every day first for his own sins
and then for those of the people,
for this He did once before
when He offered Himself as a sacrifice.
The law appoints as high priests men, afflicted with weakness ;
but the oath pronounced after the law
designates the Son, who is perfect for all eternity.
The crux of our argument now is
that we have such a high priest.
Seated at the right side of the throne of majesty in heaven
He serves the true sanctuary,
the tent stored up by the Lord and not by any man.
Every high priest’s task is to dedicate gifts and sacrifices ;
therefore He too must have something to offer.
If He stayed on earth, He would not even be a priest,
since there are already priests present
offering the gifts prescribed by the law,
though these priests perform service in a sanctuary
which is only a copy
and a shadow of the heavenly reality.
When Moses went to manufacture the tent
he was therefore told by God :
“Take care that you make everything according to the model
which was shown to you on the mountain.”
In fact, however
the ministry that fell to Jesus is far more exalted ,
as are the covenant of which He is the mediator
and the promises on which it rests.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 40(39), 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17
I come, Lord, to do thy will.
Gift and offering have Thou never desired,
but Thou hast opened my ears to thy voice.
Thou askest no burnt offering, no kissing offering from me ;
so I said : yea, I come, as it is written of me .
Thy will to do, my God, that is my joy,
thy law is engraved in my heart.
In the assemblies I have preached righteousness,
my lips not closed, Lord, Thou knowest.
Let them rejoice and be glad who seek Thee,
and cry : Glory to the Lord, who look forward to thy help.
ALLELUIA Ps. 119(118), 36a, 29b
Alleluia.
My heart be set on what You ordain, Lord ;
give me thy law as my guide.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 3, 7-12
The unclean spirits cried out : Thou art the son of God.
But He expressly forbade them to make Him known.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Mark
At that time Jesus set out with his disciples
towards the lake,
but a large crowd of people from Galilee went after Him.
Many people also came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea,
from the Overjordan
and from the region around Tyre and Sidon came to Him,
because they heard all that He was doing.
He instructed his disciples
to ensure that a boat was at hand for Him,
as a precaution against the crowds pressing in.
For He had healed many,
with the result that all those suffering from ailments
urged on Him to touch Him.
Even the unclean spirits fell
when they saw Him,
before Him and cried out :
“Thou art the Son of God.”
But He emphatically forbade them from making Him known.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
55. Gradually, some countries can show significant progress, developing more effective control and a more sincere fight against corruption. The ecological sensitivity of peoples has grown, even if it is not enough to change harmful consumption habits, which do not seem to be decreasing, but expanding and developing. This is happening, to give just a simple example, with the ever-growing increase in the use and intensity of air conditioners: markets, in seeking immediate gain, stimulate demand even more. If someone were to look at the planetary community from the outside, they would be amazed at such behaviour, which sometimes seems suicidal.
To be continued For all previous publications scroll down
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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