Invitation
May I hereby call 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 his heart
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
The two readings and the intervening psalms spoke of besieging, condemning, killing… Jesus announces that He will ‘go up’ to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was on high and to it the tribes went up. Going up to Jerusalem became a customary expression. It meant: To go on a pilgrimage, to make a sacrifice. In this context, then, the word is heavily loaded. Jesus ‘goes up’ to sacrifice himself. It is his last ‘going up’ to the temple, his last journey to death.
FIRST READING Jer. 18, 18-20
We are plotting an attack on him.
From the Prophet Jeremiah
Those who were intent on the life of the prophet said :
“We are plotting an attack on Jeremiah.
“Never do the priests lack instruction,
the wise for counsel, or the prophets for words.
“We no longer pay attention to what he says.”
Give me hearing, Lord God, hear my complaint :
May one repay good with evil ?
Yet they dig a pit for me.
Remember, I stood before you
to speak for them in the best way
and turn your wrath from them.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 31(30), 5-6, 14, 15-16
Save me, Lord, by your mercy.
The net that men secretly cast upon me
I escape through You who always protect me.
Confidently I place my spirit in your hands,
You will protect me, faithful God.
I hear them whispering around me,
threatening me on all sides.
They are plotting against me
to take my life.
Yet I continue to trust in You, Lord,
I always say: You are my God.
You have my fate in your hand,
deliver me from my persecutors.
Verse of the hymn John 11, 25a and 26
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord ;
he who believes in Me shall not perish for ever.
GOSPEL Mt 20, 17-28
The high priests and scribes will condemn Jesus to death.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
When Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem
He took the twelve apart and on the way He spoke to them :
“We are now going to Jerusalem ,
where the Son of Man will be delivered to the high priests and the
scribes.
“They will condemn Him to death
and delivered to the Gentiles
to mock Him, scourge Him and crucify Him ;
but on the third day He shall rise.”
At that time the mother of the sons of Zebedee
came with them to Jesus
and threw herself at his feet to ask Him something.
He spoke to her :
“What do you desire?”
She answered Him :
“Let these two boys of mine sit in your kingdom,
one at thy right hand and one at thy left hand.”
But Jesus answered :
“Thou knowest not what thou askest.
“Are ye able to drink the cup which I am about to drink?”
They said to Him :
“Yes, we can.”
He spoke :
“Indeed, my cup shalt thou drink,
but it is not for Me
to make you sit at my right hand or my left,
because only they obtain it
for whom my Father has prepared it.”
When the ten others heard this
they became angry with the two brothers.
Jesus, however, called them to Himself and spoke :
“Ye know that the rulers of the nations
rule them with an iron fist
and that the great ones abuse their power over them.
“This must not be the case with you ;
whoever wishes to become great among you
must be a servant of you,
and whoever wants to be first among you
must be slave to you,
Just as the Son of Man
did not come to be served,
but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
103. Technical science, if correctly oriented, is capable not only of bringing about real important things to improve the quality of life of the human being, from the objects of domestic use to the great means of transport, bridges, buildings, public spaces. It is also capable of bringing forth the beautiful and making the human being, immersed in the material world, “leap” into the world of beauty. Can one deny the beauty of an aeroplane or some skyscrapers? There are precious works of painting or music that have been brought about by resorting to new technical instruments. Thus, in the desire of the artist and in those who look at this beauty, one makes the leap to a certain truly human beauty.
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