Saint Pastor of Ars
Born May 8, 1786
Died August 4, 1859
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
Consideration
The book of Leviticus lists all the laws regarding worship, ministers, sacrifices and feasts. Often we are left with the outward rite. Two questions can then be asked. Do we still consider Sunday an actual “feast-day”? Is it a day of joy? How can I express that to my surroundings, family, relatives? A second question concerns the social character of this festive (Sunday) day. No feast without gathering, without gathering of people. Do I consider the Eucharist as “my personal feast,” or do I feel part of the community-building event? “Be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy” we read today. May it run like a thread through our Sundays.
FIRST READING Lev. 23, 1. 4-11. 15-16. 27. 34b-37
These are the feasts in honour of the Lord,
which ye must celebrate as holy days.
From the Book of Leviticus
In those days God spoke to Moses:
“These are the feasts for the Lord, the holy days,
which ye must celebrate at the appointed time.
“The fourteenth day of the first month, at sundown,
it is the feast of Easter in the sight of the Lord.
“The fifteenth day of that month
is the Feast of Unleavened Bread in honour of the Lord ;
then ye shall eat unleavened bread seven days.
“The first day is an holy day for you ;
you shall not work on that day.
“Seven days you shall offer sacrifices to the Lord.
“The seventh day is a holy day ;
then you shall not work.”
God spoke to Moses:
“Say to the Israelites :
When you come into the land which I have given you,
and bring in the harvest,
you must bring the first sheaf to the priest.
“Standing before the Lord, he set it aside
as the priest’s portion ;
then the Lord will be pleased with you.
“This is to be done the day after the Sabbath.
“From the day after the Sabbath, when you bring the sheaf
which is to be given to the priest, you must count seven Sabbaths.
“And on the day following the seventh Sabbath, on the fiftieth day,
you must offer fresh grain to the Lord.
“The tenth day of the seventh month
is the day of atonement ;
it is a holy day for you.
“Then shalt thou chastise thyself
and offer a sacrifice to the Lord.
“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month
begins the Feast of Tabernacles in honour of the Lord,
which shall last seven days.
“The first day is a holy day ;
You are not allowed to work.
“Seven days you must offer sacrifices to the Lord.
“The eighth day is a holy day for you ;
you must offer sacrifices to the Lord.
“That is the final feast; you may not work then.
“These are the feasts in honour of the Lord,
which you must celebrate as holy days
and on which you must offer him sacrifices :
Burnt offerings, meat offerings, victims, and libations,
according to the different days.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 81(80), 3-4, 5-6ab, 10-11ab
Praise the Lord, our strength!
Let your songs be heard, strike the cymbals,
play your zither and your lyre.
Let the horn sound on the new moon,
on the full moon, our feast day.
As it is ordained for Israel,
commanded by Jacob’s God;
as He commanded Joseph’s people
when He went to war against Egypt:
Never let there be a foreign god with you,
worship no gods of other lands.
For I am the Lord your only God,
who brought you out of Egypt.
ALLELUIA cf. Lk 8, 15
Alleluia.
Blessed are those who keep the Word of God which they have heard
in a good and noble heart
and bring forth fruit by their steadfastness.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 13, 54-58
Is He not the son of the carpenter?
Where did He get all this from?
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
In those days Jesus went to his father city
and taught them in their synagogue, so that they said in amazement :
“Where did He get this wisdom
and the power to perform miracles?
“Is He not a carpenter’s son?
“Was not his mother called Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
“Don’t His sisters all live with us?
“Where did He get all this?”
And they took offence.
But Jesus spoke to them:
“A prophet is honoured everywhere
except in his own city and in his own circle.”
And because of their unbelief, He did not do many miracles there.
____________________________________________________________
Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care of the Common Home
4. In 1971, eight years after Pacem in terris, Blessed Pope Paul VI referred to the ecological problem and presented it as a crisis which is “a dramatic consequence” of man’s uncontrolled activity: “By a reckless exploitation of nature he runs the risk of destroying it and becoming himself the victim of this destruction”. He also addressed the FAO on the possibility of “a true ecological catastrophe as a consequence of the effects of industrial society”, underlining “the urgency and necessity” of “a radical change in the behaviour of mankind”, because “the most extraordinary scientific advances, the most astounding technical achievements, the most miraculous economic growth, ultimately turn against man if they are not accompanied by real social and moral progress”.
To be continued
The Bible text in this edition is taken from De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Contemplations from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
___________________________________________________________