The Lord has truly risen
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 except,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Opening word
‘Whoever sees me sees the Father,’ Jesus says to his disciples.
In Jesus’ great care for people on the margins of society
we indeed recognise the Father’s love for all people.
In the words He speaks to sinners and outcasts,
we recognise the voice of the Father.
When we let Jesus speak today
and do what He has done
the way to the Father opens up
and our connection with God is strengthened.
Let us gratefully celebrate this connection with the Father.
FIRST READING Acts 6:1-7
They chose seven men, full of the Holy Spirit.
From the Acts of the Apostles
When in those days the number of disciples kept increasing,
the Hellenists began to murmur against the Hebrews,
because in daily support
their widows were disadvantaged.
The 12 now called the disciples together and said :
“It is not fitting that we should neglect the word of God
by caring for support.
“Look out therefore, brethren, for seven men from among you,
of good repute, full of spirit and wisdom.
“To them then shall we hold this office,
while we shall continue to devote ourselves to prayer
and the ministry of the word.”
This proposal found agreement among the whole assembly
and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and Holy Spirit,
Philip, Prochorus,
Nikanor, Timor, Parmenasen,
Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch.
These were presented to the apostles,
who, after prayer, laid hands on them.
The word of God spread
and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
a large number of priests also yielded to the faith.
Responsorial Ps 33(32), 1-2, 4-5, 18-19
Refrain
Give us, Lord, your mercy,
as we trust in You.
Jubilate, righteous ones, before the Lord,
righteous fit a song of praise.
Homage the Lord with the playing of the zither
and play for Him on the harp.
For upright is the word of the Lord
and all that He does is trustworthy.
Law and justice He loves,
the earth is full of his mildness.
The eye of the Lord rests on those who fear Him,
counting on his mercy.
That He will snatch them from death,
in famine feed them.
SECOND READING 1 Peter 2:4-9
Thou art a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.
From the first letter of the holy apostle Peter
Dearly beloved,
Enter into the Lord, the living stone,
rejected by men,
but chosen and precious in the sight of God.
Let yourselves also be joined as living stones
in the building of the spiritual temple.
As a holy priesthood, dedicate spiritual sacrifices,
that are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
This is why the Scriptures say:
“I lay in Zion a stone ,
a chosen, precious cornerstone.
“And whoever trusts in Him will not be disappointed.”
Precious applies to you who believe.
But for the unbelievers applies:
“The stone which the builders rejected ,
that has become the cornerstone”,
but also:
“A stone on which they stumble,
a rock over which they stumble”.
They stumble because they refuse to obey the word;
and that is what they were meant to do.
But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God’s own people,
destined to proclaim the glorious deeds
of Him who called you out of darkness
to his marvellous light.
Verse for the gospel John 14.6
Alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life,
says the Lord.
No one comes to the Father except through Me
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 14, 1-12
I am the way, the truth and the life.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
” Let not your hearts be troubled.
“Ye believe in God,
believe also in Me.
“In My Father’s house there is room for many.
Were it not so, I would have told you,
for I go to prepare a place for you.
“And when I have gone and prepared a place for you,
I will come again to take you up with Me
that ye also may be where I am.
“Thou knowest where I am going, and also the way thither is known unto thee.”
Tomas said to Him:
“Lord, we do not know where Thou art going :
How then should we know the way?”
Jesus answered him:
“I am the way, the truth and the life.
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.
“If ye would know Me ,
ye would know my Father also.
“Already now ye know Him and see Him.”
At this, Philip said:
“Lord, show us the Father; that is enough for us.”
And Jesus again:
“I have been with you so long
and ye know Me not yet, Philip ?
“Whoever sees Me sees the Father.
“How then can ye say, Show us the Father?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?
“The words which I say to you I do not speak of Myself ,
but it is the Father who, abiding in Me, does His work.
“Believe Me:
I am in the Father and the Father is in Me
“Or else believe it for the sake of works.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you:
Whoever believes in Me ,
shall also himself do the works that I do.
“Yea, greater than these shall he do, because I go to the Father.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
162. The difficulty of taking this challenge seriously is linked to an ethical and cultural decline that accompanies the ecological. The man and woman of the postmodern world are constantly at risk of becoming deeply individualistic, and many current social problems must be associated with the selfish search for immediate gratification, with the crises of the bonds of family and society, with the difficulties of recognising the other. They are often related to excessive and short-sighted parental consumption that harms the children, who find more and more difficulties in acquiring their own homes and starting families. Moreover, this inability to think seriously about future generations is linked to our inability to broaden the horizon of our concerns and think about how many are excluded from development. Let us not waste our time thinking about the poor of the future, it is enough to remember the poor of today, who have few years to live on this earth and cannot continue to wait. Therefore, “apart from loyal solidarity between generations, there is also an urgent moral need to renew solidarity within the same generation”.
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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