Patron saint of Peru, North and South America and the Philippines.
She devoted herself to orphans, the elderly and the sick
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
Gideon – Jerubbaäl – refused to become king. His son then killed all his brothers and had himself crowned king. Today’s fable – the only one in Scripture – was probably used by the prophets to denounce such rulers. Three images from the reading can feed our personal prayer: To serve (the olive tree); to bear fruit (the fig tree); to bring joy (the vine). Are we developing our gifts and talents as God wants us to, so that we can be dutiful and serve? Do we bear fruit or do we run away from our duties? Are we pleasing to God and our neighbour?
FIRST READING Right. 9, 6-15
While the Lord your God is your King,
you said to me: A king must rule over us!
From the Book of Judges
At that time, all the citizens of Shechem and Bet-Millo
gathered together at the terebinth that is in Shechem
and they proclaimed Abimelek to be king.
When this was reported to Jotam,
he went and stood on the top of the Gerizzim and shouted loudly :
“Citizens of Shechem, listen to me, then God will listen to you.
“Once the trees went out
to anoint someone king.
“They said to the olive tree:
Will you be king over us?
“But the olive tree answered :
Should I then cease to give this oil,
for which the gods and men honour me
and soar above the other trees?
“Then the trees said to the fig tree :
Wilt thou be king over us?
“But the fig tree answered :
Shall I then cease
my sweet and delicious fruits
and hover over the other trees?
“Then the trees said to the vine:
Will you be king over us?
“But the vine answered :
Should I then cease to give my must,
which gladdens the gods and men,
and hover over the other trees?
“Then all the trees said to the thorn bush:
Wilt thou be king over us?
“And the thorn bush answered the trees:
If you really want to make me king,
come and hide under my shadow.
“If you do not, a fire will go out from the thorn bush,
that consumes even the cedars of the Lebanon.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 21(20), 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Your power, Lord, gives the king confidence.
Your power, Lord, gives the king confidence,
thy assistance maketh him joyful beyond measure.
Thou hast always granted the desire of his heart,
Thou wilt not refuse the request of his lips.
Thou hast conceived him with thy richest blessing,
crowned his head with a golden crown.
He asked thee for life ; he received it,
length of days to a hundred years.
Great is his stature, thanks to thy assistance,
with glory and splendour Thou hast made him.
Thou hast made him a blessing to all,
The radiance of thy countenance bringeth him happiness.
ALLELUIA Hebr. 4, 12
Alleluia.
The word of God is living and powerful,
and it penetrates through to the point of contact between soul and spirit.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 20, 1-16a
Are you evil because I am good?
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Jesus told the following parable:
“With the kingdom of heaven it is
as with a landowner who went out early in the morning
to hire labourers for his vineyard.
“He agreed with the labourers for a tithe a day
and sent them to his vineyard.
“About the third hour he went out again
and saw others still standing idle in the marketplace
to whom he said:
Go also to my vineyard
and I will give you what is just.
“And they went.
“At about the sixth and ninth hour he went out again
and did the same.
“At about the eleventh hour, he went out again
and found others standing there.
He said to them:
What are you doing standing here all day?
“They answered him :
No one has hired us.
“Then he said to them :
Go ye also into my vineyard.
“At nightfall
the owner of the vineyard spoke to his steward:
Call out the workers and pay them,
starting with the last and so on to the first.
“When the labourers of the eleventh hour came
they each received a tithe;
When the first workers came, they thought they were going to get more,
but they also received the tithe they had agreed upon.
“They took it,
but they began to grumble at the landowner and say :
These here,
who came last
have only worked one hour,
and you put them on a par with us
who have borne the burden of the day
and the burning heat.
“But he answered one of them :
Friend, I do thee no wrong, do I?
“Hast thou not agreed with me for a denarius?
“Take what is yours and go.
“I will give to the last one
as much as you.
“May I not do as I please with mine,
or are you angry because I’m good?
“So the last shall be the first
and the first shall be the last.”
_____________________________________________________________
Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
The climate as a common good
23. The climate is a common good, belonging to all and for all. On a global scale, it is a complex system that is linked to many essential conditions for human life. There is a very consistent scientific consensus that we are experiencing an alarming warming of the climate system. In recent decades, this warming has been accompanied by a continual rise in sea level, and it is not difficult to link this with the increase in extreme weather events, despite the fact that no scientifically definable cause can be ascribed to each phenomenon individually. Humanity is called upon to become aware of the need to change lifestyles, production and consumption in order to combat this warming, or at least to eliminate the human causes that generate or exacerbate it. While there are other factors (such as volcanism, changes in the Earth’s orbit and axis, the solar cycle), numerous scientific studies suggest that most of the global warming in recent decades is due to the high concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and others) emitted mainly as a result of human activity. Their concentration in the atmosphere prevents the heat from the sun’s rays reflected by the earth from spreading out into space. This is particularly reinforced by a development model based on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is at the centre of the world’s energy system. The increase in the practice of other land uses, especially deforestation for agricultural purposes, has also had an impact.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Recitals from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
_____________________________________________________________________