Born in 1601 in Ri (Bayeux) Theologian of devotion to the Sacred Heart
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wishes 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
It is as if we find ourselves today in a ritual ceremony very similar to the liturgy of confirmation, such as the profession of faith with questions from the pastor and answers from the community. This is probably also how it was at the annual memorial feast in Shechem, where the Covenant was renewed, and of which we get the prototype here, with the erecting of a dedication stone as a lasting reminder. One might as well give as an example the solemn profession of faith of the Easter Vigil.
FIRST READING Josh. 24, 14-29
If ye will not serve the Lord, choose now whom ye will serve.
From the Book of Joshua
At that time Joshua spoke to the people:
“Fear therefore the LORD and serve Him sincerely and faithfully.
Put away the gods that your ancestors
worshipped across the River and in Egypt,
and be servants of the LORD.
If ye will not serve the LORD,
choose now whom thou wilt serve:
The gods your ancestors
worshipped across the River,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell.
Me and my family, we serve the LORD.”
The people replied:
“We do not think of leaving the LORD
and worshipping other gods.
The LORD our God has led us and our fathers
out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
He has before our eyes
performed great signs and protected us
on all our journeys and against all the nations
with which we came into contact.
The LORD drove out all those nations before us,
as well as the Amorites who inhabit this land.
We too want to serve the LORD, He is our God.”
Then Joshua said to the people:
“You may not be able to serve the LORD,
for He is a holy God, a jealous God,
who does not forgive your transgressions and sins,
but if you forsake the LORD and worship strange gods,
He will strike you with new calamities and destroy you,
despite the benefits He has given you in the past.”
But the people repeated:
“Yet we want to serve the LORD.”
Then Joshua said to the people:
“Then you yourselves are witnesses,
that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”
And they replied:
“Yes, we are.”
And Joshua resumed:
“Then put away these strange gods from you
and give yourselves completely to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
And the people replied:
“The LORD our God we want to serve
and to Him we will listen.”
So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day at Shechem.
He determined for them what is law and justice,
and he wrote everything down in the law book of God.
Thereupon he had a large stone erected under the oak tree
in the sanctuary of the LORD
and spoke to all the people:
“This stone will testify against us,
for it has heard everything
that the LORD has spoken to us.
It will continue to testify against you
so that you do not deny your God.”
Thereupon Joshua dissolved the assembly
and each returned to his own territory.
After these events, Joshua, the son of Nun, died
the servant of the LORD, at the age of one hundred and ten years.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 16(15), 1-2a, 5, 7-8, 11
The Lord is my inheritance, my drink from the cup.
Protect me, God, to Thee do I take refuge ;
Thou art my Lord, I acknowledge it.
The Lord is my inheritance, my drink from the cup,
He holds my destiny in His hand.
I thank the Lord who has always guided me,
He speaks into my heart even at night.
Always I keep my eyes on the Lord,
I do not fall, for He is beside me.
You will show me the way of life
to find all my joy with Thee,
everlasting happiness at Your side.
ALLELUIA I Thess. 2, 13
Alleluia.
Receive the divine word,
not as the word of men
but as what it is indeed: The word of God.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 19:13-15
Let the children be committed,
for those who are like them belong to the kingdom of heaven.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
In those days little children were brought to Jesus,
that He might lay hands on them
and say a prayer over them.
But brusque the disciples rejected them.
Jesus, however, said:
“Let these children go ahead anyway
and do not prevent them from coming to Me.
For to those who are like them,
belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
And after He had laid His hands on them
He departed from there.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
19. After a time of irrational faith in progress and human capabilities, part of society is entering a phase of greater awareness. One perceives a growing sensitivity to the environment and care for nature and develops a genuine and grievous concern for what is happening to our planet. We will address, in an undoubtedly incomplete manner, the issues that are troubling us today and that we can no longer gloss over in the meantime. The aim is not to gather information or satiate our curiosity, but to become grievously aware of what is happening to the world, to have the courage to turn it into personal suffering, and thus recognize the contribution each one can make.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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