Immediately after the Angel Gabriel’s message, Mary goes to her cousin Elisabeth
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 their hearts
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
Today the liturgy teaches us to hope and to expect. Fervently looking forward to what will come as a divine promise, not a planned performance. Hail Mary, most blessed are you of all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb: With these words Elisabeth responds to the greeting of Mary. Everything speaks of joy and gladness. Biblical man has a future: He lives between the already and the not quite. He lives with the harbinger of the end, the life-giving breath of God’s Spirit. Christians anticipate the feast to come: The day when God will be all in all.
FIRST READING Seph. 3, 14-18a
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you.
From the prophet Sephaniah
Zion rejoice,
rejoice, O Israel,
rejoice and be glad, Jerusalem,
with all your heart!
The sentence that was upon you
was destroyed by the Lord.
He has driven out your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you:
Now you need fear no evil!
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem :
Fear not, Zion,
and let not your hands be slack.
The Lord your God is with you
as a saving Hero.
He rejoices with you exceedingly,
and by his love he makes you new;
He rejoices for you.
INTERLUDIUM Isa 12, 2, 3, 4bcd, 5-6
The Holy One of Israel dwells in your midst.
Yes, God is my salvation; I trust in Him,
I need fear no evil.
The Lord is my strength; the Lord gives me strength,
He is my helper and saviour.
The day is near when you will draw water from the
fountain of salvation, with a cheerful heart .
Give thanks to the Lord, and glorify his Name,
proclaim his mighty acts to the nations,
make known his greatness everywhere.
Sing aloud to the Lord, who did wonders,
let all the earth hear.
Rejoice and be glad, ye that inhabit Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel dwells in your midst.
ALLELUIA Lk. 1, 45
Alleluia.
Blessed art thou, Mary, who hast believed
that it shall come to pass
what is said to you from the Lord.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 1, 39-56
To what do I owe it that the Mother of my Lord comes to me?
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
In those days Mary travelled in haste to the mountain country,
to a city in Judah.
She entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
As soon as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary,
the child leapt up into her womb.
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed with a loud voice :
“Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
“To what do I owe it
that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
“Behold, as soon as the sound of thy greeting reached my ear
the child sprang up in my womb with joy.
“Blessed is she who hath faith that it shall come to pass
what has been said to her from the Lord.”
And Mary said:
“My heart praises the Lord on high.
“For joy my spirit rejoices for God my Saviour :
For He looked kindly on the smallness of His handmaid.
“And behold, from this day forth every generation doth bless me.
Because He that is mighty hath wrought his wondrous works upon me,
and holy is his Name.
“Merciful is He from generation to generation
unto them that fear him.
“He showeth the power of His arm ;
dismembereth the proud in heart.
“He overthrows the rulers of their thrones,
but He exalts the humble.
“He lavishes gifts on the hungry,
He sends the rich away with empty hands.
“His servant Israel hath he taken unto himself,
remembering His mercy toward Abraham and his family forever,
as He had said to our fathers.”
After Mary had stayed with Elisabeth for about three months, she returned home.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care of the Common Home
186. The Rio Declaration of 1992 states that “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a pretext for postponing cost-effective measures”[132] which prevent environmental degradation. This precautionary principle makes it possible to protect those who are most vulnerable and whose ability to defend their interests and to assemble incontrovertible evidence is limited. If objective information suggests that serious and irreversible damage may result, a project should be halted or modified, even in the absence of indisputable proof. Here the burden of proof is effectively reversed, since in such cases objective and conclusive demonstrations will have to be brought forward to demonstrate that the proposed activity will not cause serious harm to the environment or to those who inhabit it.
To be continued.
The Bible text in this edition is taken from De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Recitals from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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