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.
Opening word
Our faith holds promise and perspective,
that is what the well-known Beatitudes teach us.
Even if we are poor or sad now,
the Kingdom of God is promised to us.
God does not disappoint his faithful.
Jesus speaks of a “reward in heaven”.
From that faith, we may already praise ourselves blissfully now.
Situations that are crooked or un-right will be rectified by God himself.
Present deficits will be amply compensated.
Yes, for those who believe, there is a prospect and a future.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on the Lord.
FIRST READING Seph. 2, 3; 3, 12-13
I leave with you only a humble and humble people.
From the prophet Sephaniah
Seek the Lord,
ye all, humble ones of the land,
who keep his commandments;
seek righteousness,
seek humility!
Then you may find a refuge
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.
Then I will leave with you only
An humble humble people,
who take refuge in the name of the Lord:
the rest of Israel.
They shall do no more injustice
And speak no more falsehood;
in their mouth is no tongue that deceives.
Yea, they shall pasture and lie down ,
without be startled by anyone.
Responsorial Ps. 146(145), 7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Refrain
Blessed are the poor in spirit
For to them belongs the kingdom of heaven.
The Lord always keeps His word,
He provides justice for the oppressed.
The Lord gives bread to the hungry,
He sets the captives free.
The eyes of the blind the Lord opens,
He raises up the brokenhearted.
The Lord loves the righteous,
the Lord preserves the uprooted.
The Lord gives support to orphans and widows,
but sinners he lets get lost.
The Lord is king for ever,
your God, Zion, reigns over all generations.
SECOND READING I Cor. 1:26-31
What was weak before the world God has chosen.
From the holy apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians
of Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
Think of your own calling.
By human standards, not many were learned,
not many powerful,
not many of high birth.
No, what is foolish to the world
has God chosen to shame the wise ;
what is weak to the world
God has chosen to shame the strong ;
what to the world is of low origin and insignificant
God has chosen ;
what is nothing
To nullify what is something,
so that before God no man may boast of himself.
Thanks be to Him you are in Christ Jesus
who of God became all our wisdom,
our righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
Therefore : as it is written,
“if any man will glory, let him glory in the Lord.”
Verse for the Gospel Mt 5, 12a
Alleluia.
Rejoice and cheer,
for great is your reward in heaven.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt. 5, 1-12a
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
When Jesus saw the crowd, He went up the mountain,
and after setting Him down, His disciples joined Him.
He took the floor and taught them thus :
“Blessed are the poor in spirit ,
for to them belongs the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are the mourners ,
for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the land.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall have mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
“Blessed are those who bring peace,
for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when you are reviled, persecuted
and slanderously accused of all kinds of evil for My sake :
“Rejoice and rejoice ,
for great is thy reward in heaven.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
The wisdom of biblical stories
65 . Without revisiting the whole theology of creation here, we ask what the great biblical stories tell us about the human being’s relationship with the world. In the first story of creation in the book of Genesis, God’s plan includes the creation of humanity. After the creation of man and woman, it is said that “God looked upon all that He had made, and saw that it was very good” (Gen 1:31) . The Bible teaches that every human being is created for love, created in the image and likeness of God. These words show us the immense dignity of every human person, who “is not just something, but someone. He is capable of knowing himself, owning himself and freely giving himself and interacting with other persons”. Saint John Paul II recalled how the very special love the Creator has for each human being “confers on him an infinite dignity”. Those committed to defending the dignity of persons can find in Christian faith the deepest reasons for that commitment. What wondrous security it is to know that each person’s life is not lost in hopeless chaos, in a world ruled by pure chance or by cycles that repeat themselves senselessly! The Creator can say to each of us, “Before I formed you in the mother’s womb, I chose you” (Jer. 1:5) . We are received into God’s heart and therefore “each of us is the fruit of a thought of God. Each of us is wanted, each is loved, each is necessary”.
To be continued
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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