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.
Consideration
The first reading should be understood from the history of Israel. That history was initially a triumphant journey from the wandering patriarchs, through slavery in Egypt, to the exodus, the conquest of Canaan and the culmination of the monarchy. Then decay began and in the end nothing remained: Neither city, nor temple, nor king, nor monarchy, worse could not be for an empire that would last forever. Azariah’s prayer is in that context. Today we pray it on behalf of all people in deepest need.
FIRST READING Dan. 3, 25.34-43
Let us be heard with you because of our crushed heart and humble spirit.
From the Prophet Daniel
In those days
Azariah while standing performed this prayer :
“For your name’s sake: Do not cast us out for good
and break not thy covenant,
do not withdraw your mercy from us
for the sake of Abraham, your friend, for the sake of Isaac, your servant,
and of Israel, thy holy one.
“To them Thou hast promised to make their descendants as numerous
as stars in the sky
and the grains of sand on the beach of the sea.
“But now, Lord, we have become the smallest nation
of all the peoples of the earth
and nowhere in the world do we have any significance anymore
because of our sins.
“We now have no king, no prophet, no leader,
no burnt offerings and victims, no meat offerings and incense,
not even a holy place where we can sacrifice to You
so as to experience your mercy.
“But let us find audience with You
because of our crushed heart and humble spirit.
“May our sacrifice today consist
in perfect adherence to You
and may it please You as much
as we came with burnt offerings of rams and bulls
and with tens of thousands of fat lambs,
for no reproach afflicts those who trust in Thee.
“Now we follow Thee with all our hearts ;
we respect Thee and seek Thee.
“Yet let us not be disgraced,
but deal with us according to your goodness
and according to your great mercy.
“Save us in your wonderful way
and glorify, Lord, your name.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 25(24), 4bc-5ab, 6-7bc, 8-9
Remember your mercy, Lord.
Show me your ways , Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me according to your Word,
for Thou art my God and Redeemer.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
your ever-given compassion.
Remember not the evil of my youth,
but remember me with mercy.
The Lord is good and righteous,
therefore He shows sinners the way.
He leads the lowly along honourable paths,
He teaches the simple what to do.
VERS FOR THE GOSPEL Joel 2, 12-13
Turn to Me with all your heart, says the Lord,
for I am gracious and merciful.
GOSPEL Mt 18:21-35
He who does not wholeheartedly forgive his brother, to him the Father will not forgive either.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Peter came to Jesus and spoke :
“Lord, if my brother transgresses against me ,
how often must I forgive him ?
“Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered him:
“Nay I say unto you ,
not until seven times
but to seventy times seven times.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven resembles a king
who wanted to give an account
to his servants.
“When he started this, they brought someone to him
who owed ten thousand talents.
“Since he had nothing to pay, the lord gave the order
to sell him with wife and children and all that he owned,
in order to settle the debt.
“The servant threw himself down before him and begged :
Lord, have patience with me and I will pay you everything.
“The lord took pity on that servant,
let him go and waived the loan.
“But when that servant came outside,
he found another servant there
who owed him a hundred denarii ;
he grabbed him by the throat and said :
Pay what you owe.
“The other servant threw himself down before him and begged :
Have patience with me and I will pay you.
“But he refused, and even had him put in jail
until he would have paid his debt.
“Now when the other servants saw what had happened ,
they were deeply indignant
and went to tell their lord everything.
“Thereupon the lord sent for him and spoke :
You ugly servant,
I have forgiven you all this debt
because you begged me for it.
“Should you then
should you not have had pity on your fellow-servant
as I have pitied you?
“And aroused in anger
his lord delivered him over to the executioners,
until he had paid all his debt.
“So will my heavenly Father deal with any of you
who does not heartily pardon his brother.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
109. The technocratic paradigm also tends to exert its own power over the economy and politics. The economy accepts any technological development for profit without paying attention to any negative consequences for the human being. Money stifles the real economy. People have not learnt the lesson of the global financial crisis and are very slow to learn that of environmental degradation. It is claimed in some circles that the current economy and technology will solve all environmental problems, just as it is claimed with non-academic language that the problems of world hunger and misery will be easily solved with market growth. It is not a question of economic theories, which perhaps no one dares to defend today, but of applying them to the actual development of the economy. Those who do not say it in as many words support it with the facts, when they do not seem to care about the right level of production, better distribution of wealth, responsible care for the environment or the rights of future generations. With their attitude, they confirm that the objective of maximising profits is sufficient. However, the market alone does not guarantee integral human development and social cohesion. In the meantime, we have a “kind of wasteful and consumerist super-development, which unacceptably contradicts ongoing situations of degrading human misery”, while not quickly enough elaborating economic institutions and social programmes that allow the poorest to have regular access to basic resources. People do not sufficiently realise the deepest roots of the current imbalance, which also has to do with the focus, purposes, meaning and social context of technological and economic growth.
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 English translation
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