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 day.
Considerations
Who is my neighbour, a scribe once asked Jesus, and with Luke, Jesus gave an answer
in the parable of the Good Samaritan. We understand this better when we listen to the first reading.
Love your neighbour as yourself, it says. But what precedes is indeed not clear.
Who is my neighbour? Is it your peers? Is it your brother? Is it your tribesman? The
Gospel answers that. It is ‘everyone’ that you meet, including the stranger.
FIRST READING Lev. 19, 1-2. 11-18
Speak righteous justice over your fellow citizens.
From the Book of Leviticus
The Lord spoke to Moses :
“Say to all the community of the Israelites :
Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
“Thou shalt not rob one another, nor lie or deceive.
“Thou shalt not use My name for perjury,
for then thou desecratest the name of thy God.
“I am the Lord.
“Thou shalt not exploit thy neighbour, nor fail him in anything.
“What a day labourer earns
thou must not keep till the next morning.
“Thou shalt not curse a deaf man
and put nothing in the way of a blind man
over which he may stumble.
“Thou must be in awe of thy God.
“I am the Lord.
“Be not partial in judging :
Do not favour the poor and do not look at the rich man’s eyes.
“Speak righteous justice over thy people’s people.
“Do not spread slander about one another
and do not stand up to your neighbour.
“I am the Lord.
“Do not be hateful to your brother.
“Judge one another :
Then do not be guilty of another’s sin.
“Do not take revenge on a fellow citizen
and do not bear a grudge against him.
“Love thy neighbour as thyself.
“I am the Lord.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 19(18), 8, 9, 10, 15
Your words, Lord, are spirit and life (John 6:64b).
The Lord’s law is perfect,
it strengthens the uncertain spirit.
His precepts are trustworthy,
they make the ignorant wise.
Lawful are all His commands,
satisfying the mind.
Let all my speaking and thinking
be acceptable to You, Lord,
before You, my rock and saviour.
VERS FOR THE GOSPEL 2 Cor. 6, 2b
Now is the auspicious time,
today is the day of salvation.
GOSPEL Mt 25, 31-46
All that you did for one of the least of my brethren you did for me.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples :
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory
and accompanied by all the angels ,
then He will take his seat on his throne of glory.
“All nations will be gathered before Him
and He will separate them into two groups,
as the shepherd separates
between sheep and goats.
“The sheep He will place at his right hand
but the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right hand :
Come blessed of my Father,
and receive the kingdom
which is ready for you from the foundation of the world.
“For I was hungry, and ye gave Me food,
I was a stranger, and ye took Me in,
I was naked, and ye clothed Me,
I was sick, and ye visited Me,
I was in prison, and ye visited Me.
“Then the righteous will answer Him and say :
Lord, when did we see Thee hungry
and fed Thee ,
or thirsty and given Thee to drink?
“And when did we see Thee as a stranger
and have taken Thee in ,
or naked and clothed Thee?
“And when did we see Thee sick or in prison
and have come to visit Thee?
“The King will answer them in reply :
Verily, I say unto thee:
all that thou hast done
for one of the least of my brethren
hast thou done for Me.
“And to those on his left hand He shall then say :
Depart from Me, cursed ones, into the eternal fire
which is prepared for the devil and his henchmen.
“For I was hungry, and ye did not feed Me,
I was thirsty, and ye gave Me not to drink ;
I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in,
naked, and did not clothe Me ;
I was sick and in prison
and ye came not to visit Me.
“Then they too shall answer and say :
Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty
or a stranger, or naked
or sick, or in prison ,
and have we not cared for Thee?
“To this He will answer them :
Verily, I say unto thee :
All that ye have not done for one of these least of these
have ye also not done for Me.
“And these shall go away to eternal punishment ,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
94. The rich and the poor have equal dignity because “the Lord made them all”
(Spr. 22, 2) , “He Himself made small and great (Wis. 6, 7) and “makes the sun rise on the wicked and the good” (Mt. 5, 45) . This has practical implications, such as those formulated by the bishops of Paraguay: “Every peasant has the natural right to own a reasonable plot of land, on which he can build his house, work for the livelihood of his family and have security regarding his own existence. This right must be guaranteed so that its exercise is not pretence but real. And this means that apart from having the title of owner, the farmer must be able to rely on the resources of technical training, loans, insurance and access to the market.”
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Translation of the Bible,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official Enjglish translation
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