Italian church reformer Lived from 1007-1072
Elevated to the rank of Church teacher in 1828
Invitation
May I hereby call your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wishes to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening his heart
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
The author often starts from one saying and elaborates it for the people of his time in a number of verses (1-6). Tribulation is a test for man. His viewpoint is undoubtedly traditional. In this life, good is rewarded and evil is punished. In the underworld there is no hope and all are equal. Yet, as a keen observer, the author is aware that it is not always right, and often he does not know how to deal with it (see 11, 26-28).
FIRST READING Sir. 2, 1-11
Prepare for temptation
From the Book of Ecclesiasticus.
My child, if you approach to serve God the Lord,
prepare thyself for temptation.
Go straight, be steadfast,
and be not hurried in time of adversity.
Hold fast to Him and do not fall away,
you will be exalted in the end.
Accept everything that happens to you;
be meek in the vicissitudes of your humble existence.
For gold is tried in fire,
and he who is pleasing to God in the furnace of humiliation;
(in sickness and poverty rely on God).
Trust in Him and He will help you,
walk the straight path and hope in Him.
Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,
do not stray, you may fall.
Thou that fearest the Lord, trust in Him,
and thy reward shall not escape thee.
Thou that fearest the Lord, hope for good,
for everlasting joy and mercy;
(His retribution is an eternal gift connected with joy).
Note the generations of the past and behold:
Who trusted in the Lord and was shamed?
Who persevered in the fear of Him and was forsaken?
Or who called on Him and was not heard?
Therefore: merciful and gracious is the Lord;
He forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.
Interludium Ps. 37(36), 3-4, 18-19, 27-28,39-40
Entrust to the Lord your way of life,
Trust in Him, He will take care of it.
Trust in the Lord and do what is right,
then thou shalt inhabit thy land safely.
Seek thy happiness in the Lord,
He will give you what your heart desires.
The Lord cares for the lives of the pious,
their inheritance abides forever.
They are not shy in times of disaster,
but are satisfied in times of famine.
Stay far from evil and do what is right,
then you may live here forever;
for God loves righteousness,
forsake not his faithful.
The salvation of the pious comes from the Lord ;
He is their refuge in times of affliction.
The Lord stands by them and delivers them,
He saves those who turn to Him.
Alleluia James 1, 21
Alleluia.
Accept with meekness the word of God
which was planted in you,
and has the power
to save your souls.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 9, 30-37
The Son of Man is handed down.
If anyone wants to be first ,
he must be the last of all.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
After the transfiguration on the mountain
Jesus and his disciples went away from there
and passed through Galilee;
but He did not want anyone to know,
for He was teaching His disciples.
He said to them:
“The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men
and they will kill Him ;
but three days after his death He will rise again.”
They did not understand these words
but shrank from questioning Him.
They arrived in Capernaum
and, once home, He questioned them:
“What did you argue about on the road?”
But they were silent, for they
had had an altercation about the question of
who was the greatest.
Then He sat down,
called the twelve to Himself and said to them:
“If anyone wants to be first ,
he must be the last of all
and be the servant of all.”
He took a child and placed it in their midst;
He embraced it and spoke to them:
“Whoever takes up a child like this in My Name
takes Me in; and whoever takes Me in
does not take Me up, but Him who sent Me.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
88. The bishops of Brazil have emphasized that, in addition to the fact that all of nature is a manifestation of God, it is the place of His presence. In every creature dwells His vivifying Spirit, who calls us to a relationship with Him. The discovery of this presence stimulates in us the development of the “ecological virtues.” But when we say this, let us not forget that there is also an infinite distance, that the things of this world do not possess the fullness of God. Otherwise, we could not do the creatures any good either, because we would not recognize their own and authentic place and would end up unlawfully demanding from them what, in their smallness, they cannot give us.
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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