Japanese Jesuit. Lived from 1565- 1597
One of the first martyrs of the Far East.
Invitation
This invitation wants to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening his heart
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
In the first part of Genesis, the writer indeifies the cosmos. Sun and moon, the gods worshipped in Babylon, give way to an eternal God who is an ally of man. Behind this world, above this world is the one God who conquers chaos, death, darkness, wilderness. Ultimately, God makes man and He blesses him. He calls man to be there for Him, his Creator, in service to his creation. Remarkable: The day when God completes creation and rests – the seventh day, the Sabbath – is a day that does not actually end. It is not written, as it is with other days, “And it had been evening and morning, the seventh day. The seventh day is an infinite day, the day that foreshadows the eternal rest, the eternal light that God has promised.
FIRST READING Gen. 1, 20-2, 4a
Now we are going to make man, as an image of us, similar to us.
From the Book of Genesis
God spoke:
“The waters must teem with animals, and over the land
the birds should fly along the firmament.”
Then God created the great monstrosities of the sea
and all the teeming animals, of which the waters are teeming,
species after species,
and all the winged beasts, species after species.
And God saw that it was good.
God blessed them and He spoke :
“Be fruitful and become numerous ;
you must populate the waters of the sea ,
and the birds should multiply on the land.”
It became evening and it became morning ;
that was the fifth day.
God spoke :
“The land must bring forth living creatures of all kinds :
Domestic animals, creeping animals
and wild beasts of all kinds.”
So it happened.
God made the wild beasts, species after species,
the domesticated animals, species after species,
and everything that crawls on the ground, species after species.
And God saw that it was good.
God spoke :
“Now we are going to make man ,
as an image of Us, similar to Us;
he shall rule over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air,
over domesticated animals, over all wild beasts
and over all the beasts that crawl upon the ground.”
And God created man as his image ;
as the image of God He created him ;
man and woman He created them.
God blessed them and spoke to them :
Be fruitful and become numerous ;
populate the earth and subdue it ;
Rule over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air,
and over every beast that creepeth upon the ground.”
And God spoke :
“Hereby I give all the seed-forming crops
on the whole earth to you,
and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit :
they shall serve you for food.
“But to all wild beasts,
all the birds of the air
and to all that creep upon the ground,
to all that has animal life,
I will give all the green crops as food.”
So it happened.
God looked at everything He had made,
and He saw that it was very good.
It became evening and it became morning ;
that was the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed,
and everything with which they are equipped.
On the seventh day
God brought the work that He had done
to completion.
He rested on the seventh day
from all the work He had done.
God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on that day God rested from all the work
that He had creatively brought into being.
This is the history of the creation
of heaven and earth, as they were created.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 8, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Lord, our Lord,
how awesome is your Name on earth.
When I look up to the heavens,
the work of your fingers,
when I see moon and stars, which Thou hast put there :
Ah, what is man then, that Thou dost look upon him,
the child of man, that Thou dost so care for him?
Not less than an angel hast Thou created him,
clothed him in beauty and splendor;
subjected all thy creation to him,
all things laid at his feet :
Cattle and sheep everywhere,
even the wild beasts of the fields ;
birds in the air and fish in the sea,
all that teems in the oceans.
ALLELUIA John 17, 17b, a
Alleluia.
Your Word is truth, Lord,
consecrate us to You in the truth.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 7, 1-13
You abandon the commandment of God
and hold fast to the lore of men.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Mark
Once the Pharisees
and some of the scribes from Jerusalem gathered together with Jesus,
and they saw that some of his disciples were eating with unclean,
that is, unwashed hands.
After all, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat
without first having washed their fingertips,
since they hold to the tradition of the forefathers;
they come from the marketplace,
they don’t eat until they have cleaned themselves;
and there are many other things
which they hold to by tradition :
Washing cups, pitchers and copper dishes.
Therefore
the Pharisees and scribes asked Him the question :
“Why don’t your disciples behave
according to the tradition of the forefathers,
but eat with unclean hands?”
He answered them :
“How precisely did Isaiah prophesy about you, hypocrites!
“So yet it is written :
This people honors Me with their lips
but their heart is far from Me.
They honor Me, but without purpose,
and man’s law is what they teach.
“Thou forsakest the commandment of God
and hold to the lore of men :
Washing off jars and cups
and more such things do ye.
“You have a clever way
-He continued-
of rejecting God ’s commandment out of action
in order to maintain your lore!
“For Moses said :
Honor thy father and thy mother, and
he who curses his father or his mother must die.
“And yet you teach :
If anyone says to his father or mother :
Anything with which I could help you is Korban,
-which means: sacrifice-
then you do not allow him
to do anything for his father or mother.
“Thus you make the word of God powerless
in favor of your lore which you pass on.
“And ye do more of such things.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
74. The experience of slavery in Babylon triggered a spiritual crisis that led to a deepening of faith in God by declaring his creative omnipotence, to encourage the people to regain hope in the midst of their unhappy situation. Centuries later, at another time of trial and persecution, when the Roman Empire sought to impose absolute rule, the faithful once again found solace and hope by increasing their faith in the almighty God, and they sang, “Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord, God Almighty. Just and true are your ways” (Rev 15:3) . If God was able to create the universe from nothing, He can also intervene in this world and overcome every form of evil. Unrighteousness, therefore, is not invincible.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©DutchBible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for the weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation