The Lord is 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 this joy by opening his heart
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every day
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Consideration
There is something funny about today’s reading. In various legends of antiquity, gods in human guise visit. Here, Paul’s spokesmen are called Hermes and Barnabas Zeus. Yet the emphasis is not so much on the gods’ arrival, but on the great miracle that so impressed all present. The fact that Paul and Barnabas intervened so late is conveniently explained by the interjection that the people were talking in Lycaonian. The response psalm hooks well into the attitude of the apostles. Not us, Lord, not us, but your Name is to be honoured.
FIRST READING Acts 14, 5-18
Turn away from worthless gods and turn to the living God.
From the Acts of the Apostles
When the pagans and the Jews of Ikonium
together with their governments
made preparations to abuse and stone Paul and Barnabas,
they took action,
as soon as they perceived this,
to go to the Lykaonian cities,
Lystra, Derbe and their surroundings.
There also they preached the Gospel.
There was a man in Lystra who had no strength in his feet and had to sit.
He had been lame from birth and had never been able to walk.
While this man was listening to Paul’s speech,
Paul looked at him inquiringly
and saw that he had the faith to be saved.
Therefore he spoke with a loud voice:
“Stand on your feet, upright!”
The man jumped up and walked around.
When the people saw what Paul had done
they began to shout
and they yelled in Lykaonian:
“The gods have come down to us in human form.
Barnabas they called Zeus
and Paul, because he was the spokesman, Hermes.
The priest of the temple Zeus outside the city
brought garlanded bulls to the gates
and wanted to offer a sacrifice together with the people.
When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about this,
tore their clothes
and threw themselves in among the people,
shouting loudly:
“Men!
What are you going to do?
“We too are men
just like you.
“We bring you the glad tidings
that you must turn away from these worthless gods,
and turn to the living God,
Who made the heavens and the earth
and the sea and all that is in them.
“In the days of old He let all peoples go their way,
but He has not failed to give testimony of Himself
by bestowing benefits :
For from heaven He gave you
rain and fruitful seasons
and gladdened you with abundance of food.”
But even these words
could hardly keep the people from
from offering a sacrifice to them.
Interludium Ps 115(113B), 1-2, 3-4, 15-16
Not us, Lord, not us,
but Thy Name be praised.
or : Alleluia.
Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your Name be the glory,
for Thou art merciful and faithful.
Why must foreign nations ask :
Where is the God of Israel?
The God of Israel is in heaven,
He does as He chooses.
Their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
Blessed art Thou through the Lord our God,
who made heaven and earth.
The heavens are the Lord’s own domain,
the earth He assigned to men.
ALLELUIA Col 3, 1
Alleluia.
If then, with Christ, ye have been raised to life
seek ye that which is above,
where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 14, 21-26
The Helper whom the Father will send will teach you everything.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
In those days Jesus said to his disciples :
“He that keepeth my commandments which he hath received,
it is he who loves Me.
“And he who loves Me
will be loved by my Father;
I too will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
Judas – not Iscariot – said to Him :
“Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus answered him :
“If anyone loves Me
he will keep my word ;
my Father will love him
and we will come to him and dwell with him.
“He who does not love Me
keep not My words ;
The word that you hear is not from Me
but from the Father who sent Me.
“This I say to you while I am yet with you,
but the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
He will teach you everything
and bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever I have said unto you.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care of the Common Home
Some lines of orientation and action
163. I have sought to examine humanity’s current situation, both in terms of the cracks in the planet we inhabit and the deeply human causes of environmental degradation. While this consideration of reality in itself points us to the need for a change of direction and suggests some action, we now seek to outline major pathways for dialogue that should help us get out of the spiral of self-destruction we are entering.
To be continued
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Recitals from Liturgical suggestions for the weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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