Bishop and benefactor. Born c. 270 in Patara, present-day Turkey
Died on 6 December c. 342 in Patara
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
Among the Jews, having meals was much more than simply eating: Sitting down to a meal created community, connectedness. Prayer was inherent in the meal, at its beginning and end. In Isaiah’s vision, Zion becomes the centre of the world, to which ‘all’ the nations go to be taught the Law (Torah) of God. A Messiah who brings salvation not just for Israel, but for all peoples: The reading expresses a universalism very unusual for the time. Jesus anticipates this in the multiplication of bread. He fulfils the ancient prophecies, not only by healing, but by holding the holy supper. We may now sit down with the Lord at his table.
FIRST READING Isa 25:6-10a
The Lord invites all to his banquet, and wipes away all tears.
From the Prophet Isaiah
In those days the Lord of heavenly powers will give, before all nations
on this mountain a banquet ;
a banquet of fatty foods,
a banquet of mature wines;
fatty foods prepared with marrow,
mature wines pure as crystal.
On this mountain He will tear the veil
that lies over all nations
and the cloth that lies spread over all nations.
The Lord will destroy death forever ;
He will wipe the tears from all faces,
and the shame of his people
away from all the surface of the earth.
For so the Lord has decreed.
On that day people will say :
This is our God in whom we hoped,
He has saved us ;
this is the Lord in whom we had put our trust :
Let us rejoice and be glad
in the salvation He brought us.
The hand of the Lord protects Mount Zion.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 23(22), 1-3a, 3b-4, 6, 5
The house of the Lord shall be my dwelling place
for all times to come.
The Lord is my shepherd, nothing will I lack ;
He makes me graze on green fields.
He brings me to water, where I can rest,
He restores my courage.
He guides my steps along straight paths
for His Name’s sake.
Though my way leads through dark gorges,
I fear no evil wherever You lead me.
Thy rod and Thy staff
give me courage and confidence.
You invite me to Your table
to the annoyance of my enemies.
With oil Thou anointest my head,
my cup is overflowing.
Prosperity and blessing never leave me
every day of my life.
The house of the Lord shall be my dwelling
for all times to come.
ALLELUIA Isa 33:22
Alleluia.
The Lord is our judge, lawgiver and king ;
He will deliver us.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 15:29-37
Jesus heals several sick people and multiplies loaves of bread.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus once passed by the Sea of Galilee.
He went up the mountain and sat down there.
Numerous people flocked to Him,
who were lame, infirm, blind,
the dumb and many others with them
to lay them down at His feet.
He healed them, to the amazement of the people
who saw how the dumb spoke and the infirm became healthy,
the lame walked and the blind could see.
And they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples to him and spoke :
“I have compassion on all these people ,
because they have been staying with Me for three days
so that they are now without food ;
but I will not let them go
without having eaten first ,
because I fear that otherwise they will succumb on the way.”
The disciples, however, remarked :
“Where in such a lonely place will we
get enough bread to satiate all these people?”
Jesus asked them :
“How many loaves have ye then?”
“Seven – they replied – and some fish.”
After He ordered the people to sit on the ground
He took the seven loaves and the fishes
which He broke after speaking the prayer of thanksgiving,
and gave them to the disciples, who again gave them to the people.
All ate until they were satisfied
and of the remaining chunks
they collected another seven full baskets.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
128. We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment. Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work. Yet the orientation of the economy has favoured a kind of technological progress in which the costs of production are reduced by laying off workers and replacing them with machines. This is yet another way in which we can end up working against ourselves. The loss of jobs also has a negative impact on the economy “through the progressive erosion of social capital: the network of relationships of trust, dependability, and respect for rules, all of which are indispensable for any form of civil coexistence”. In other words, “human costs always include economic costs, and economic dysfunctions always involve human costs”. To stop investing in people, in order to gain greater short-term financial gain, is bad business for society.
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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