Born 21 Aug 1567 Died 28 Dec 1622
Bishop of Geneva and Annecy
Orator and mystic
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.
Considerations
‘To keep us on our feet and steadfastly persevere in our purpose, we need to do the same as people walking on ice. They hold each other by the hand, or support each other under the arm. If someone slips, the other makes sure he does not fall, and vice versa, one also supports the other, when the latter in turn threatens to slip. Our life on earth is like walking on the ice, because every time there are occasions to stagger and fall’.
(Francis de Sales, Conferences, p. 36)
FIRST READING 2 Sam. 7, 4-17
I will highly exalt the descendant whom thou hast begotten
And uphold his royal power.
From the second Book of Samuel
In those days the word of the Lord was addressed to Natan :
“Say to my servant David :
Thus speaks the Lord :
Thou wilt build Me a house and make Me dwell in it ?
“I have never dwelt in a house ,
since the time I led the Israelites out of Egypt
until today ;
always I have gone along in a tent ,
in which I dwelt.
“As long as I walked with the Israelites
I never asked anyone :
Why dost thou not build Me a house of cedar wood?
“To none of the tribes of Israel ,
whom I had appointed to shepherd My people.
“Therefore say to My servant David :
Thus speaks God, the Lord of heavenly powers :
I have brought you out of the steppe, from behind the sheep ,
to be prince over my people Israel.
“In all your journeys I have stood by you,
all your enemies I have destroyed,
your name have I made great as those of the great of the earth.
“I have given my people Israel an area
and planted it there to dwell.
“It will no longer be startled
and oppressed by no evildoers, as before, in the time
when I had appointed judges over Israel, my people.
“I have caused all your enemies to leave you alone.
“The Lord announces to you
That He will establish a house for you.
“When your days are completed and you rest with your fathers,
I will highly exalt the offspring whom ye beget
and uphold his royal power.
“He shall build a house in honour of My Name
and I will uphold his royal throne forever.
“I will be his father
and he will be my son.
“If he goes the wrong way ,
I will chastise him with blows and lashes,
as well as other people.
“But never will I cast him out of My favour ,
as I did with Saul,
whom I cast out to make room for you.
“So your house and your royal power will stand forever ;
thy throne shall stand firm for ever.”
All these words, all this vision, Natan conveyed to David.
INTERLUDIUM Ps 89(88), 4-5, 27-28, 29-30
Forever he can count on my mercy.
I have made a covenant with David,
promised my chosen servant with an oath :
I will uphold your offspring forever,
in all ages thy throne shall endure.
He shall call upon Me : Thou art my Father,
my God, the rock of my salvation.
I designate him as the firstborn,
as highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever he can count on My grace,
forever my covenant with him remains in force.
I will make no end of his generation,
nor to his throne, as long as heaven has days.
ALLELUIA Ps. 119(118), 105
Alleluia.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, Lord,
it is a light in my path.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 4, 1-20
Once a sower went out to sow.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
At that time
Jesus began to teach on the shore of the lake.
Very many people gathered with Him,
so that He had to get into a boat lying on the water
To take a seat there,
while all the people were on land along the lake.
He taught them many things through parables,
and in His instruction He said to them :
“Listen.
“Once a sower went out to sow.
“As he was sowing
a portion fell on the road and the birds came to eat it.
“Another portion fell on the rocky places
where it did not have much earth ;
it shot up quickly because it was in shallow soil.
“But when the sun had risen
it suffered from the heat,
so that it withered for lack of root.
“Yet another portion fell among thistles and these sprung up
so that the seed choked and produced no fruit.
“Another portion finally fell on good soil
and because it sprung up and developed,
it produced fruit
and brought forth thirty-, sixty- and a hundredfold.”
And He added :
“He who has ears to hear, he listens.”
When He was alone again
His surroundings, including the twelve,
Him questions concerning the parables.
He answered them :
“To you is given the secret of the Kingdom of God
but those outside it receive everything in parables,
that they may look keenly with their eyes but not see,
and listen with their ears but do not understand,
lest they should repent and be forgiven.”
And He continued :
“Do you not understand this parable?
“Then how will you understand all parables?
“The sower sows the word.
“Who on the road
-where the word is sown-
are the people with whom when they have heard it,
Satan comes immediately
and snatches away the word sown within them.
“In the same way
are those sown on the rocky places
the people who when they have heard the word,
immediately take it up with joy;
but they have not taken root, living by the moment,
and if they are oppressed or persecuted because of the word,
they fall immediately.
“Those sown among thistles are others again ,
who did hear the word,
but when the cares of the world,
the delusion of wealth
and the lusts for everything else intrude,
these stifle the word and so it remains without fruit.
“Those sown in good ground
are those who hear the word,
take it in and bear fruit:
thirty-, sixty- and a hundredfold.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
Dialogue towards a new national and local politics
176. Not only are there victors and losers among countries, but also within poor countries where different responsibilities need to be identified. Therefore, issues related to the environment and economic development cannot just be raised on the basis of differences between countries, but call for attention in national and international politics.
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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