Spanish saint. Mystic. Born 24 June 1542 at Fontiveros.
Died on 14 December 1591 in Ubeda
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
‘He who watchfully looks forward to Christ is delicate, ardent and anxious in spirit; he is awake, alert, observant, full of zeal to seek and honour Him. In everything he seeks to discover Him no matter what, and he would not be surprised or overly excited or upset if he found that Christ came immediately. This, then, is watchful anticipation: Being unattached to what is now present and living in the unseen; living with the thought of Christ as He once came and as He will return; from our tender and grateful remembrance of His first coming longing for His second coming.’
(John Henry Newman)
FIRST READING Isa 41:13-20
I, the Holy One of Israel, I am your redeemer, says the Lord.
From the Prophet Isaiah
Thus speaks the Lord :
“I am the Lord your God ,
who has taken you by your right hand
and who says to you :
Do not be afraid ; I am helping you.
“Do not be afraid, little worm Jacob,
little nation of Israel !
“I Myself am your helper, says the Lord,
I am your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
“I will make you a threshing sledge,
new and well-sharpened, with sharp teeth.
“Thou shalt thresh mountains and crush ,
make hills into chaff ;
thou castest them up ; the wind carries them away,
the storm scatters them.
“Ye yourselves, however, ye rejoice in the Lord
and praise thyself for the sake of the Holy One of Israel.
“The poor and needy seek for water
and it is not there ;
their tongue is parched with thirst.
“I, the Lord, I hear them,
I, the God of Israel, I will not forsake them !
“On the barren lands I make rivers spring up
and springs in the rocky gorges.
“From the desert I make a land of water,
from the thirsty soil a spring-field.
“In the desert I make cedars grow,
acasias, myrtles and oleasters.
“In the barren land I will set up cypresses
and ash trees and palms, a multitude of trees.
“Then they will see and acknowledge,
fully understand and comprehend,
that the hand of the Lord has done that,
that Israel’s Holy One created that.”
Thus speaks Almighty God.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 145(144), 1, 9, 10-11, 12-13ab
The Lord is full of love and compassion,
longsuffering and most gracious.
You I want to praise, my God and King,
glorifying your Name forever.
The Lord is concerned for every man,
merciful to all that He made.
Your works shall praise You, Lord,
thy pious ones shall praise Thee.
They cry out the glory of Your rule,
thy power they proclaim.
They make Your power known to men,
the splendour of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
your rule is for every generation.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
Come to us Lord, with your peace,
that with sincere hearts
may we rejoice in You.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 11:11-15
No one has risen who is greater than John the Baptist.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Jesus said to the crowd :
“Verily, I say unto you :
Among those born of women
no one has risen who is greater than John the Baptist.
“Nevertheless, the smallest in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he.
“From the days of John the Baptist until now
the kingdom of heaven breaks forth with violence,
and violent men seize it.
“For all the prophets and the Law, until John,
have only foretold it ;
but if ye will take it from Me :
This is the Elijah that was to come.
“He who has ears, he listens!”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
136. From the other side, it is disturbing that some ecological movements defend the integrity of the environment and rightly demand limits on scientific research, while sometimes not applying the same principles to human life. It is often justified that all limits are crossed when experimenting on living human embryos. People forget that the inalienable value of a human being goes far beyond the degree of its development. Similarly, technology ultimately considers any practice legitimate when it fails to recognise the great ethical principles. As we have seen in this chapter, when technology is separated from ethics, it will not easily be able to limit its own power itself.
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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