On the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple,
the Church celebrates that Mary’s parents dedicated her in the temple.
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 excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
The origin of the remembrance of Marian dedication is the consecration of the Church of Mary in 543 in Jerusalem, it reminds us of her mission in the temple. Mary evokes the image of the faithful woman who allowed herself to be completely moulded by God’s word. Like no other, the mother of Jesus opened herself to the work of God: ‘I will be done according to your word’. Self-giving and availability to the utmost marked her life. Just as we celebrate Mary’s dedication of her child Jesus in the temple on 2 February, today we celebrate Mary’s own dedication.
FIRST READING Zech 2, 14-17
Rejoice, daughter Zion, for behold, I am coming
From the Prophet Zechariah
Thus is the divine word of the Lord :
“Rejoice and rejoice, daughter Zion,
for behold, I am coming and I will dwell with you.
“In that day many nations
will join the Lord;
they shall be my people
and I will dwell with them.”
Then you will know,
that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
The Lord will take possession of Judah
as His inheritance on the holy ground
and He will choose Jerusalem again.
Swing before the Lord, all that lives!
He will rise and come out of His holy dwelling.
INTERLUDIUM Lk. 1, 46-47,48-49,50-51,52-53,54-55
Blessed art thou, Virgin Mary,
thou hast borne the Son of the eternal Father
carried in thy womb.
High now my soul exalts the Lord,
delighted is my spirit for God my redeemer.
His choice fell on his simple handmaid :
From now on every generation praises me.
Wonderful is what He did to me,
the Mighty One, great is his Name!
Merciful is He for ever and ever
to all who acknowledge Him.
He asserts Himself with a mighty arm,
He scatters the foolish.
The mighty He brings down from their throne,
He raises the simple to prominence.
He gives abundance to the needy
but the rich go away with empty hands.
He takes care of his servant Israel,
remembering his gentle mercy;
as He promised the fathers,
to Abraham and his generation forever.
ALLELUIA Ps. 119(118), 36a, 29b
Alleluia.
My heart be set on what You ordain, Lord,
give me thy law as a guide.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 12, 46-50
Gesturing to his disciples, Jesus said :
Behold my mother and my brothers.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, while Jesus was speaking to the people ,
it happened that his mother and brothers were standing outside
trying to speak to Him.
Someone now came and said to Him :
“Your mother and brothers are standing outside
and want to speak to You.”
But He replied to the one who came to tell Him this :
“Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”
And gesturing to his disciples, He said :
“Behold my mother and my brothers ;
for my brother, my sister and my mother are those
who fulfil the will of my Father in heaven.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
113. There is also the fact that people no longer seem to believe in a happy future; they no longer have blind trust in a better tomorrow based on the present state of the world and our technical abilities. There is a growing awareness that scientific and technological progress cannot be equated with the progress of humanity and history, a growing sense that the way to a better future lies elsewhere. This is not to reject the possibilities which technology continues to offer us. But humanity has changed profoundly, and the accumulation of constant novelties exalts a superficiality which pulls us in one direction. It becomes difficult to pause and recover depth in life. If architecture reflects the spirit of an age, our megastructures and drab apartment blocks express the spirit of globalized technology, where a constant flood of new products coexists with a tedious monotony. Let us refuse to resign ourselves to this, and continue to wonder about the purpose and meaning of everything. Otherwise we would simply legitimate the present situation and need new forms of escapism to help us endure the emptiness.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Translation of the Bible,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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