Was bishop of Antochia in Syria. Was killed on the orders of the emperor Trajan,
killed in Rome between 110 and 117 in the Colosseum.
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. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
Paul writes to the Christians of Rome. Who are they? How does Paul know that congregation? In 49, Claudius had driven out the Jews and Paul had met some of them, including Aquila and Priscilla on his travels. After Claudius’ death, those Jews had returned in 54 to find a large pagan Christian community there. This inevitably caused friction. First (today) the pagans are addressed. They cannot be excused by ignorance (because they did not have the revelation of the Jews). They had sufficient elements to know God, but they betook themselves to idols.
FIRST READING Rom. 1:16-25
Although men knew God
they did not give God His due honour and thanks.
From the holy apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians of Rome
Brothers and sisters,
For the gospel I am not ashamed.
It is a divine power
for the salvation of everyone who believes in it,
first of all the Jew, but also the Greek.
For in it God’s righteousness is revealed
which justifies man through faith
and faith alone,
according to the word of Scripture:
“He who is justified by faith shall live.”
But the wrath of God reveals itself, and descends from heaven
upon the wickedness and iniquity of all
who by their iniquity suppress the truth.
For what a man can know of God
is in fact known among them ;
God himself has revealed it to them.
From the creation of the world
His invisible Being
is beheld by reason in His works,
namely his eternal power and his deity.
Therefore they are not excusable.
For though they knew God,
they did not give God His due honour and thanks.
All their thinking has come to nothing
and their minds, which rejected insight, were darkened.
They claimed to be wise but became fools.
The majesty of the imperishable God
they exchanged for the image
Of the stature of a mortal man,
and of birds and of four-footed and crawling animals.
Therefore God has given them up to their unclean lusts
so that they dishonour their own bodies.
They have exchanged divine truth for falsehood
and instead of the Creator honoured and worshipped the creation ;
He is blessed for ever !
Amen.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 19(18), 2-3, 4-5
The heavens proclaim God’s glory.
The heavens proclaim God’s glory,
the firmament shows us the work of his hands.
The day proclaims it to the next day,
the night passes it on to the night.
No word is spoken, no voice echoes,
no sound is heard;
yet all over the earth their call resounds,
their message penetrates to the edge of the world.
ALLELUIA Ps. 25(24), 4c, 5a
Alleluia.
Teach me to know your paths, Lord ;
Lead me according to your word.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 11, 37-41
Give alms ;
Then everything will be pure for you.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
At that time, a Pharisee invited Jesus
to have a meal with him.
So Jesus entered and lay down.
When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed to see
that Jesus had not first performed the ablutions before the meal.
But the Lord spoke to him :
“And you then, Pharisees ,
ye do clean the outside of the cup and saucer,
but inside you are full of robbery and wickedness.
“Fools!
“Did He who made the outside
not also made the inside?
“Give rather what is in it as alms ;
then everything will be clean for you.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
78. At the same time, Judeo-Christian thought de-mythologised nature. Without ceasing to admire it for its brilliance and immensity, it no longer attributed a divine character to it. Thus, once again, our obligation towards it is further underlined. A return to nature should not be at the expense of the freedom and responsibility of the human being, who is a part of the world with the task of using its own capacities to protect it and develop its potential. If we recognise the value and fragility of nature and at the same time the capacities given to us by the Creator, it enables us today to put an end to the modern myth of unlimited material progress. A fragile world with a human being, to whom God entrusts its care, appeals to our intelligence to recognise how we should direct, exercise and limit our power.
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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