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
We tend to imagine the Christian landscape as a collection of different faiths existing side by side, each claiming to convey the true heritage of Christ. But this human viewpoint is based on a mistake. In God’s eyes, the Church can be nothing but a unity. The reality of the Church is not competition, but communion. Every person who lives in communion with God through Christ is set out from there to live in communion with others: ‘By your love for one another everyone will see that you are my disciples’, says Jesus (Jn 13:35). Christ is the one who unites us, through his call for us to enter into the communion between him and his Father in the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Jn 1:3 and Jn 14:23). Only from this communion are we able to proclaim the promise of genuine and lasting reconciliation in our torn world.
(Brother Roger, A Way of Reconciliation)
FIRST READING 1 Sam. 24, 3-21
The Lord preserve me from laying hands
to him who is his anointed.
From the first Book of Samuel
In those days Saul chose
three thousand select men from all Israel
and he went in search of David and his men,
east of the Capricorn rocks.
On his way, he came to the sheepfolds.
There is a cavern there
and Saul entered it to isolate himself.
But at the back of that cavern were David and his men!
The men said to David :
“This is the moment the Lord meant when He said to you :
I deliver your enemy to you.
“Do with him what thou wilt.”
Then David stood up and without Saul noticing anything
he cut off a slip of his cloak.
His heart pounded
because he had cut off the slip of Saul’s cloak.
Thereupon he said to his men :
“The Lord preserve me
that I should offend my lord, the anointed of God,
that I should strike at him
who is the Lord’s anointed.”
With these words, David restrained his men
and did not allow them to throw themselves at Saul.
Meanwhile, Saul had risen ;
he left the cavern to continue his way.
Then David too went out of the cavern and called after Saul :
“My Lord and king!”
Saul turned around and David bowed down to the ground
to pay his homage to him.
He said to Saul :
“Why do you still listen to the talk of men
as if David wanted your misfortune?
“You now see with your own eyes
That the Lord had delivered thee up to me in the cavern.
“They wanted to kill you ,
but I spared thee and said :
I do not offend my Lord,
for he is the anointed of God.
“Look, my father,
look at the slip of your cloak that I have in my hand.
“That I was able to cut off the slip of your cloak
and did not kill you
should surely be clear evidence to you
that I have no evil or rebellious intentions.
“I have done nothing wrong against you
and yet you are targeting my life.
“The Lord may judge,
which of the two of us is in his right,
and may the Lord avenge me on you :
I will not lay hands on thee.
“The old proverb says :
From anger goes anger.
“I will not lay hands on thee.
“Against whom is the king of Israel actually pulling out?
“Who are you actually after?
“Surely it is only a dead dog or a flea!
“The Lord will be judge and judge,
which of us is in his right ;
He may watch, defend my case
and provide me with justice against you.”
When David had said this, Saul cried out :
“Is that your voice, my son David?”
And Saul began to cry loudly.
And he said to David :
“Thou art righteous, I am not ,
for while I harm thee, thou treatest me well.
“Today thou hast shown that thou art well disposed towards me.
“The Lord had delivered me up to thee
And yet thou didst not kill me.
“Who ever lets his enemy go away unharmed,
when he gets his hands on him?
“The Lord will reward thee
For what thou hast done for me today.
“Now I know that thou wilt become king
and that the royal power over Israel
shall remain in thy hands.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 57(56), 2, 3-4, 6, 11
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me.
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me,
in You I seek my salvation.
I take refuge under Your wings
until disaster strikes.
I cry out to God, the Most High,
to God, who cares for me;
that He may send me salvation from heaven
and cast out my persecutors in disgrace.
Display Thee on high, God, in majesty,
thy glory shine upon all the earth.
Because Your compassion is wide as the heavens,
thy throne reaches to the clouds.
ALLELUIA Ps. 119(118), 18
Alleluia.
Open my eyes to behold, Lord,
the glory of your law.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 3, 13-19
Jesus called to Himself those He Himself wanted ; and they came to Him.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
At that time Jesus went up the mountain
and called to Himself those He Himself wanted ;
and they came to Him.
He appointed twelve to accompany Him
and to be sent out by Him to preach,
with power to cast out devils.
So He appointed these twelve ;
Simon, whom He gave the name Peter ;
further, James the son of Zebedee
and John, the brother of James,
to whom He gave the name Boanérges, which means :
sons of thunder ;
then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Tomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Taddeus, Simon the Zealot
and Judas Iscariot, who delivered Him up.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the care of the common home
171. The strategy of selling “emission rights” should not result in a new form of speculation and would not serve to reduce global emissions of polluting gases. This system appears to be a quick and easy solution, giving the appearance of a certain commitment to the environment, but not at all a radical change, in line with circumstances. On the contrary, it may become a ploy that allows it to support the superconsumption of some countries and sectors.
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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