The Lord has truly risen
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 except,
can experience that joy by opening his heart
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every morning from 7 a.m.
Consideration
We see that two parties are opposing each other and the debate is fierce. The positions are indeed extreme. Then authority speaks. Not to just decide but to bring the parties, who are listening silent, to each other. Peter refers to his own experience with Cornelius. God himself has pointed the direction. Can one oppose God ? Then James, the stern apostle, speaks. He points in the direction of a very acceptable compromise: No unnecessary burdens. Thus all come to an agreement.
FIRST READING Acts 15, 7-21
I believe that one should not impose unnecessary burdens on those who are converted to God from paganism.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days, after much discussion back and forth
about the circumcision, Peter took the floor
and spoke to the apostles and elders :
“Men brethren,
You know that God chose me among you a long time ago,
so that the Gentiles might hear
the word of the gospel
and accept the faith.
“Well,
God who knows the hearts,
has spoken for them
by imparting to them the Holy Spirit
precisely as to us,
and He has not in any way
distinction between us and them,
but cleansed their hearts by faith.
“Wherefore then will ye now defy God
by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks ,
which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
“On the contrary,
just as they did, we also believe
be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”
The whole assembly was silent,
and they listened to Barnabas and Paul
who told of the great miracles
which God had done through them among the Gentiles.
When they had finished
James took the floor and spoke :
“Men brothers ,
listen to me.
“Simeon has explained to us,
how God once looked down with mercy
and chose a people from among the Gentiles.
“The words of the prophets are in agreement with this,
as it is written:
Then I will return
And I will rebuild the ruined house of David.
Yes, I will rebuild its ruins
and I will restore them completely ,
so that the rest of the people will seek the Lord
together with all the Gentiles,
over whom My Name has been proclaimed.
“Thus speaks the Lord who does these things :
From eternity they have been known.
“Therefore I am of opinion for me
that one should not impose unnecessary burdens
on those who are converted from paganism to God,
but to prescribe to them
to abstain from what is contaminated by idols,
from fornication,
from what is asphyxiated and from blood.
“For from time immemorial Moses has had people in every city
who read and preached to him in the synagogue on Sabbath.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 96(95), 1-2a, 2b-3, 10
Report to the nations the glory of the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
Sing to the Lord, all nations.
Sing to the Lord and glorify his Name.
Proclaim his salvation all the days.
Report to the nations his glory,
his wondrous deeds to all nations.
Say to one another: The Lord rules!
He created the earth unshakably,
He governs the nations with equity.
ALLELUIA Lk. 24,46
Alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and die
and rise from the dead,
and thus enter into His glory.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 15,9-11
Abide in my love that your joy may be complete.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time Jesus said to His disciples :
“As the Father has loved Me
so have I also loved you.
“Abide in my love.
“If ye keep my commandments
ye shall abide in my love,
as I, who have kept my Father’s commandments
abide in his love.
“This I say to you
That my joy may be in you
and your joy may become perfect.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
166.The global ecological movement has had a long trajectory, enriched by the efforts of many organisations in civil society. It would be impossible to mention them all here, nor to review the history of their contributions. But thanks to so much effort, environmental issues have increasingly been on the public agenda and have become a constant invitation to long-term thinking. Despite this, the world summits on the environment in recent years have failed to live up to expectations, failing to reach truly significant and effective environmental agreements due to a lack of political decisiveness.
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
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