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
Can one dismiss the wonderful story of Philip and the Ethiopian in a few lines? Luke may have the story from tradition: the first Gentile is baptised. The Ethiopian Church goes even further: the faith comes to Africa before it is brought to Europe. But isn’t it rather a story for every day? Two people walk their own paths that suddenly cross each other, and each time this becomes a God-given opportunity to do good, to bring God to the table. Sometimes we are Philip and we bring up God. Another time we are Ethiopian and God is brought up to us.
FIRST READING Acts 8:26-40
If ye believe with all your heart,
you can be baptised.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip :
“Set out on a journey to the south
and go up the road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza :
this one is lonely.”
He set out on his journey.
At the same time, an Ethiopian was on his way back
from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem ;
He was a eunuch,
a courtier of Kándake, the queen of the Ethiopians,
and her chief treasurer.
Seated in his travelling carriage, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit spoke to Philip :
“Go to that travelling carriage
and stay near it.”
When Philip had gone there
he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah.
He asked him :
“Do ye understand what ye read?”
But the Ethiopian replied :
“How could I,
if no one helps me?”
He invited Philip to get in
and sit with him.
The scripture he just read was the following :
Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter ;
and like a lamb, dumb to its shearer,
he did not open his mouth.
Through His humiliation His sentence was carried out.
Who will be able to describe His slaughter ?
For His life is taken away from the earth.
Now the eunuch addressed the word to Philip :
“May I ask you of whom the prophet says this ?
Of himself or of someone else ?”
Philip began to speak
and starting from this text, he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they travelled on, they came to a body of water
and the courtier said :
“Here is water.
“What is against my being baptised?”
Philip, however, said :
“If you believe with all your heart
may it be.”
He replied in reply :
“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
He made the carriage stop
and both of them, Philip and the eunuch descended into the water
and he baptised him.
When they had come out of the water
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away ;
the eunuch saw him no more,
and joyfully continued his journey.
Philip, however, was found in Azótus.
There he went about
and preached the Good News in all the cities
until he came to Caesarea.
INTERLUDIUM Ps 66(65), 8-9, 16-17, 20
Rejoice before God, all the nations of the earth,
sing to the glory of his Name.
Or : Alleluia.
Praise, all nations, now our God,
proclaim the fame of his deeds.
He has saved our lives again and again,
and did not allow us to fall.
Come then, God-fearers, listen to me,
I will tell you what He has done to me.
Him my mouth has always asked for help,
my tongue has always praised Him.
God be praised, He did not reject me,
did not withhold His mercy from me.
ALLELUIA Apok. 1, 5ab
Alleluia.
Jesus Christ, faithful witness,
firstborn from the dead ;
Thou hast loved us
And redeemed us from sins in Thy blood.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 6:44-51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
In those days, Jesus said to the crowds :
“No one can come to Me
If the Father who sent Me does not draw him ;
And I will raise him up at the last day.
“It is written by the prophets :
And all shall be taught by God.
“All who have listened to the Father’s teaching
comes to Me.
“Not that anyone has seen the Father :
Only the One who is of God has seen the Father.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you :
Whoever believes has eternal life.
“I am the bread of life.
“Your fathers who ate the manna in the desert ,
nevertheless died ;
but this bread cometh down from heaven
That he who eats of it may not die.
“I am the living bread
which came down from heaven.
“If anyone eats of this bread
he will live forever.
“The bread that I will give
Is My Flesh,
for the sake of the life of the world.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
152. The lack of housing is a serious problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in big cities, also because state spending usually covers only part of the demand. Not only the poor, but also a large section of society encounters serious difficulties in owning their own homes. Home ownership is of great importance for the dignity of the person and the development of the family. It concerns a central issue in human ecology. If chaotic agglomerations of shaky houses have already developed in a particular place, the priority is to urbanise those neighbourhoods and not to deprive their inhabitants of their roots and drive them out. When the poor live in polluted suburbs or dangerous agglomerations, “(it is necessary) to relocate these people elsewhere so that misery is not piled up, appropriate information should be provided in advance offering a choice of decent houses and directly involving stakeholders in the process”. At the same time, creativity should lead to integrating poverty-stricken neighbourhoods within a welcoming city. “How beautiful are the cities that manage to overcome unhealthy mistrust and integrate those who are different and make that integration a new factor of development! How beautiful are the cities that are also full of spaces in their architectural plan that connect, establish relationships, promote the recognition of others!”.
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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