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 truth will set you free.” This is one of those enduring, lapidary phrases from John’s Gospel, but how easily it is misunderstood. It is not about philosophy, about the human search for philosophical or scientific truth. Truth here is the divine truth that comes to us in Christ and saves us. Freedom, then, is freedom from the bondage of sin; freedom from the darkness of a God-forsaken existence. In this sense, we come very close to the Pauline “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1), the freedom of the children of God.
FIRST READING Dan. 3, 14-20.91-92.95
The Lord has sent his angel to save his servants.
From the Prophet Daniel
In those days King Nebuchadnezzar asked
to the men Shadrach, Mezak and Abednego :
“Is it true that you do not worship my god
and do not worship the golden image that I have set up?
“Well then, are ye prepared, on hearing the sounds
of horn and flute, of zither, lute and harp,
of bagpipes and other musical instruments of all kinds,
to bow down and worship the image that I have made?
“If you refuse to do so, you will be summarily
thrown into the blazing fire of an oven
and what god shall then deliver thee from my power?”
They answered the king :
“Nebuchadnezzar, we do not find it necessary
to answer your question.
“If there is a god who can do that,
it is our God whom we worship:
He is able to deliver us from the blazing fire of a furnace
and He will snatch us from your grasp, king.
“But the king be convinced, that ,
even if God does not save us, we will not worship your god
and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar became furious with them
and his countenance fell ;
he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual ,
and he ordered the strongest of his army
to bind these men
and throw them into the blazing furnace.
But King Nebuchadnezzar was suddenly startled,
stood up in a daze and said to his councilors:
“Surely we have cast three men in chains into the fire?”
They replied to the king : “Certainly, king!”
He resumed :
“But I see four men unbound
and without injury moving in the fire ;
the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke :
“Praised be the God of Shadrach, Mezak and Abednego :
He has sent his angel to save his servants
who, trusting in Him
have transgressed the king’s command
and gave up their bodies,
because they would not honour
or worship but their own God.”
INTERLUDIUM Dan. 3, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56
To Thee be the praise in all ages.
Praised be Thou, Lord, God of our fathers,
unto Thee be praise throughout all ages.
Praised be thy holy glorious Name,
to Thee be the praise throughout all ages;
Praised be Thou in the house of thy glory,
to Thee be the praise throughout all ages.
Praised be Thou on the throne of thy kingdom,
to Thee go the praise throughout the ages.
Praised be Thou, who seest through the depths,
Thou who art enthroned on kerub, throughout all ages.
Praised art Thou in the dome of heaven,
to Thee be the praise throughout all ages.
VERSE FOR THE GOSPEL Mt. 4,4b
Not from bread alone does man live,
but from everything that comes from the mouth of God.
GOSPEL John 8, 31-42
If the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him :
“If ye remain true to my word
you are truly my disciples.
“Then you will know the truth
and the truth will make you free.”
One threw up :
“We are of the lineage of Abraham
and have never been anyone’s slave.
“How then canst Thou say :
Thou shalt become free?”
Jesus answered them :
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee :
Whosoever committeth sin
is a slave to sin,
and the slave does not abide in the house forever.
“He who remains in the house forever
is the Son.
“If the Son makes you free
ye shall be truly free.
“I know that ye are of the lineage of Abraham ;
yet ye seek to kill me
because my word has no place with you.
“I proclaim what I have seen from the Father,
but you do what you heard from your father.”
They answered Him :
“Our father is Abraham!”
Thereupon Jesus said to them :
“If ye are the children of Abraham
then do the works of Abraham.
“Now, however, you seek to kill Me, a man.
whereas I have told you the truth
which I have heard from God.
“No such thing did Abraham do.
“Thou doest the works of thy father.”
They said to Him :
“We were not born of fornication ;
one father we have
and that is God.”
Jesus said to them :
“If God were your father
you would love me,
for by God have I gone forth
and of God I am here.
“Nay, I have not come of myself
but He hath sent Me.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
The need to protect labour
124. In any design of an integral ecology that does not exclude human beings, it is indispensable to integrate the value of labour, developed with such wisdom by Saint John Paul II in his encyclical Laborem Exercens. We recall that, according to the Bible story, God placed man in the newly created garden not just to take care of what existed (preserve), but to work there, so that it might bring forth fruit (cultivate). The workers and artisans “maintain the goods of this world” (Sir. 38, 33) . In reality, human intervention that favours the wise development of creation is the most appropriate way to ensure it, because it involves becoming an instrument of God to help bring out the possibilities He Himself has written in things: “The Lord makes the earth bring forth healing herbs, and a wise man does not despise them” (Sir. 38, 4) .
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 the weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation