H. Norbert was born around 1080 and died on 6 June 1134. He was a bishop and founder of the Premonstratensians
Invitation
May I draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
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
CONSIDERATION
God does not intervene indiscriminately in our world, in our lives. We may not blame God when we are tested. Our faith in Him will surface from the ordinary rather than the spectacular. God’s kingdom zeal in our lives is, therefore, more likely to be realized in those proportions: in small, seemingly insignificant words and gestures, in banal things that might as well not have been or happened. The kingdom will be built through human humility, from the deep realization that we are ‘only’ limited human beings.
FIRST READING Tob. 2, 10-23
Though he was smitten with blindness
yet Tobit did not grumble against God.
From the Book of Tobit
Once when Tobit had buried a dead man and came home at night,
he, being unclean,
laid himself to rest along the wall of the courtyard,
without covering his face.
He still had his eyes open and at some point
sparrow shit fell in his eyes.
He developed white spots on his eyes and went blind.
The Lord allowed this ordeal to afflict him,
to give us an example of patience,
like that of the holy man Job.
Although Tobit from his earliest youth
had always been God-fearing
and had kept God’s commandments
and was now struck with blindness,
yet he did not grumble against God.
He persevered unswervingly in the fear of the Lord
and giving thanks to God all the days of his life.
But as the tribal princes had scorned blessed Job,
so too Tobit was mocked by his relatives and friends
for his walk of life. They said to him:
“Where is now your hope, for which you have given alms
and provided funerals?”
But Tobit rebuked them and said:
“Do not speak like that!
for we are of the generation of the saints
and we expect the life which God will give
to those who never break their allegiance to Him “.
Meanwhile, Anna, his wife, went out daily to weave
and then brought home the edibles
which she had managed to obtain through manual labor.
On one occasion, she was told by the customers
to whom she regularly delivered work,
to give her a goat as a gift with her payment.
When she came home with it, it started to gurgle.
Tobit asked Anna:
“Where did that billy goat come from? It wasn’t stolen, was it?
Take it back to its owner,
for it is not lawful to eat something that has been stolen.”
His wife angrily replied to him:
“Where are you with your alms and your good works?
Now your true nature is coming to light.”
And in such a manner, she continued to reproach him.
INTERLUDIUM Ps 112(111), 1-2, 7bc-8, 9
The righteous
continue to trust in the Lord unshaken.
Alleluia.
Happy the man who is in awe of God,
who finds joy in his commandments.
His offspring will be mighty in the land,
and blessed shall be the generation of the pious.
From bad times he is not afraid,
he continues to trust in the Lord unshaken.
Steadfast and fearless, he perseveres
until he looks down on his enemies.
With the mildness he distributes to the poor,
he will never lose his righteousness,
his power and prestige ever increasing.
Alleluia Ps 119(118), 36a, 29b
Alleluia.
My heart be directed to what You ordain ;
give me Thy law as a guide.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 12, 13-17
Give to the emperor what is due to the emperor
and to God what is due to God.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
In those days
the high priests, scribes, and elders sent
some Pharisees and Herodians upon Jesus
to detain Him.
These came to Him asking:
“Master, we know that Thou art sincere
and trouble Thyself about no one,
for Thou seest not men according to their eyes,
but teach the way of God in sincerity.
Is it lawful
to pay taxes to the emperor or not?
Shall we pay him or not?”
But Jesus, seeing through their hypocrisy, replied:
“Why are you trying to catch Me?
Give Me a coin, and I will see.”
They did so.
Jesus now asked them:
“Whose is this pictorial and edge lettering?”
They replied:
“From the emperor.”
Thereupon Jesus spoke to them:
“Then give to the emperor what is due to the emperor
and to God what is due to God.”
And they stood amazed at Him.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
192. For example, a path of productive development, which is more creative and better directed, could correct the present disparity between excessive technological investment in consumption and insufficient investment in resolving urgent problems facing the human family. It could generate intelligent and profitable ways of reusing, revamping, and recycling, and it could also improve the energy efficiency of cities. Productive diversification offers the fullest possibilities for human ingenuity to create and innovate, while at the same time protecting the environment and creating more sources of employment. Such creativity would be a worthy expression of our most noble human qualities, for we would be striving intelligently, boldly, and responsibly to promote sustainable and equitable development within the context of a broader concept of quality of life. On the other hand, to find ever new ways of despoiling nature, purely for the sake of new consumer items and quick profit, would be, in human terms, less worthy and creative, and more superficial.
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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