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 power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
Chapter 19 is the hinge on which all of the book of Exodus revolves, with the Sinai event after the booty call. The law with the covenant-making and a host of regulations follow from it up to and including Yahweh’s entrance into the finished sanctuary. It does not make much sense to wonder what exactly happened at Sinai. Israel was convinced that Yahweh had revealed Himself to Moses and to the people. This secret was later (partly from the cult) given a certain vividness.
FIRST READING Ex. 19, 1-2. 9-11. 16-20b
God the Lord, before the eyes of all the people, will
descend on Sinai.
From the Book of Exodus
Three months after their departure from Egypt, to-day,
the Israelites reached the Sinai Desert.
They had departed from Refidim
and arrived in the Sinai Desert
where they pitched their camp close to the mountain.
The Lord now spoke to Moses :
“I am coming to you in a dense cloud
so that the people may hear Me speaking to you
and will gain confidence in you forever.”
Moses conveyed the people’s response to the Lord.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses :
“Go to the people and make sure
that they sanctify themselves today and tomorrow and wash their clothes.
“They must make themselves ready for the day after tomorrow ,
for the day after tomorrow the Lord
descend on Sinai before the eyes of all the people.”
On the third day, early in the morning,
it began to thunder and lightning.
Above the mountain hung a dense cloud,
mighty trumpet sounded,
and all the people in the camp trembled with fear.
Then Moses led the people out of the camp,
facing God.
At the foot of the mountain they remained standing.
Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke
because the Lord had descended in fire.
The smoke rose up like the smoke of a smelter.
All the people were struck with dismay.
Trumpets resounded, louder and louder.
Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered him.
For the Lord had descended on Sinai,
on the top of the mountain.
INTERLUDIUM Dan. 3, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56
To Thee be praise in all ages.
Praised be Thou, Lord, God of our fathers,
unto Thee be praised throughout all ages.
Praised be Thy holy glorious Name,
unto Thee be praised throughout all ages.
Praised be Thou in the house of Thy glory,
unto Thee be praised throughout all ages.
Praised be Thou on the throne of Thy kingdom,
unto Thee be praised throughout all ages.
Praised be Thou, who searches the depths,
enthroned on kerubim, in all ages.
Praised be Thou in the dome of heaven,
unto Thee be praised throughout all ages.
ALLELUIA Ps. 119(118), 105
Alleluia.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet, Lord,
it is a light upon my path.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt. 13, 10-17
To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,
but to others it is not given.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time the disciples came to ask Jesus :
“Why dost thou speak to the multitude in parables?”
He gave them in answer :
“To you it has been given
to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven ,
but to them it is not given.
“To him who has will be given, and abundantly ;
but he who does not have will be taken away
even what he has.
“When I speak to them in parables
it is because they,
though they have eyes they do not see
and though they have ears, they neither hear nor understand.
“Thus is fulfilled in them the prophecy of Isaiah
which reads thus :
With thine ears shalt thou listen and yet not understand,
with thine eyes shalt thou look and yet not see.
“For hardened is the heart of this people,
with their ears they hear badly
and their eyes they shut,
for fear
that they would see with their eyes,
with their ears to hear,
with their hearts would understand,
repent
and I would heal them.
“Happy your eyes, because they see ,
and your ears, because they hear!
“For verily I say unto you :
Many prophets and righteous men
have longed to see what thou seest ,
but they have not seen;
and to hear what ye hear,
but they have not heard.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
BEYOND THE SUN
243. At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God (cf. 1 Cor 13:12), and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude. Even now we are journeying towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven. Jesus says: “I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place and have something to give those poor men and women who will have been liberated once and for all.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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