Born c 225 in Huesca. Spain. Exercised the office of deacon in Rome.
Beheaded under Emperor Valerianus
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 image of the grain speaks to us. Giving yourself, dying to yourself to bear rich fruit. The grain that falls into the earth is Jesus. Following in his footsteps are also all Christians who have given their lives to others. The dying of the grain happens invisibly for us. Only when the earth sprouts and blossoms open do we see the fruits of the hidden dying. It brings forth life a hundredfold. Died grain becomes food for many.
FIRST READING 2 Cor. 9, 6-10
God loves a cheerful giver.
From the second letter of the holy apostle Paul to the Christians of
Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
He who sows meagerly, reaps meagerly;
he who sows plentifully will reap plentifully.
Let each one carry out what he has decided in his heart, without pain and without constraint,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God has the power to lavish you with all gifts,
so that you, always provided with everything you need in every way,
may have more than enough for every good work.
Thus it is also written :
“He has given abundantly to the poor,
his bounty shall never cease.”
He who gives the sower seed and food to eat,
will also give you seed and multiply it
and cause the harvest of your generosity to prosper.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 112(111), 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
Happy is the man who gives and borrows.
Happy is the man who has respect for God,
who finds joy in his commandments.
His offspring will be mighty in the land,
blessed shall be the generation of the pious.
Happy is the man who gives and borrows,
who manages his affairs honestly.
For ever and ever the righteous man stands strong,
he will be remembered for ever.
He is not afraid of bad tidings,
he trusts in the Lord unhesitatingly.
Steadfast and without fear he perseveres
till he looketh down on his enemies.
With mildness he distributes to the poor,
he will never lose his righteousness.
His power and his stature are ever increasing;
the sinner shall look upon it with envy.
ALLELUIA John 8, 12b
Alleluia.
He that followeth me
will not wander in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 12, 24-26
If anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time Jesus said to his disciples :
“Verily, verily, I say unto you :
If the grain of wheat does not fall into the earth
it remains alone ;
but if it dies
it brings forth much fruit.
“He who loves his life loses it ;
but he that hateth his life in this world
will preserve it for eternity.
“If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me;
where I am, there will My servant be also.
“If anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care of the Common Home
Saint Francis of Assisi
10. I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.
To be continued
The Bible text in this publication is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Netherlands Bible Society 2004/2007.
Recitals from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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