On his way to Damascus, Paul was struck by God; he fell off his horse and could no longer see anything
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.
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 close the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with the feast of Paul’s conversion. On the one hand, one of the greatest conversions or even the greatest known to us, which shaped the evolution of world Christianity. On the other hand, it can hardly be called a conversion. Paul himself felt as if he was turning away from a sinful life: persecuting and killing Christians. But this was in any case ignorance, and inspired by a Pharisaic perfectionism that wanted to be faithful to the Law, the Torah of God. Rather, we can see it as a dedication. He has turned towards Christ and this with an unconditionality that has no equal. In this kind of conversion Paul precedes every Christian. Turning to Christ daily, seeking the only thing that really matters.
FIRST READING Acts 22:3-16
Arise, be baptised and wash away your sins
invoking the name of Jesus.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days, Paul said to the people :
“I am a Jew ,
born at Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up here in this city
and brought up at the feet of Gamaliel
according to the strict views of the ancestral Law.
“I was a zealot for God
as you all are today
and I pursued this path to death,
beaten men and women in chains
and thrown into prison ,
as by the way the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify of me.
“With letters from them I went to the brethren in Damascus
in order also to have the people there
handcuffed to Jerusalem and had them punished.
“But on the way, when I was already close to Damascus
around noon, around noon, a bright light suddenly
suddenly a bright light from heaven.
“I fell to the ground
And I heard a voice say to me :
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
“I answered :
Who art thou, Lord?
“He resumed :
I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.
“My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
“I said : What must I do, Lord?
“And the Lord again unto me : Arise
and continue thy journey to Damascus ;
there they will tell thee all that thou hast to do.
“But because I could not see
owing to the glare of the light,
I was led by the hand of my companions
and so I arrived in Damascus.
“A certain Ananias, a law-abiding man
known for his good name and fame
among all Jewish residents,
came to visit me,
stood before me and spoke :
Saul, brother, become sighted again!
“At the same moment I saw him standing.
“Then he said :
The God of our fathers has predestined you
To know his will,
to see the Righteous One
and to hear a voice from His mouth,
because you will have to testify before Him to all men
of what thou hast seen and heard.
“What hesitation then?
“Arise, be baptised
and wash away thy sins under the invocation of His Name.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 117(116)
Go out into all the world
and proclaim the gospel to all creation;
(Mk. 16:15)
Or: Alleluia.
Now praise the Lord, all the nations of the earth,
hail the Lord, all nations around.
Because with us He has shown His goodness ;
the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
ALLELUIA John 15, 16
Alleluia.
I have chosen you
and I have given you the task of going on a journey
and bring forth fruit that may last.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk 16:15-18
Go out into all the world and proclaim the gospel.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
At that time Jesus appeared to the eleven and said :
“Go out into all the world
and proclaim the gospel to all creation.
“Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved,
but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
“And these signs will accompany believers :
In my Name they will cast out devils,
speak new languages,
take up serpents ;
even if they drink deadly poison it will not harm them ;
and if they lay hands on the sick
the sick will be healed.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
177. Considering the possibility of irresponsible use of human capabilities, each state has within its own territory the function, which does not tolerate delay, to plan, coordinate, be vigilant and sanction. How does society order and monitor its own future in a context of constant technological innovations? One factor that effectively regulates in this regard is the law, which sets the rules for behaviour that is permissible in the light of the common good. The limits that a healthy, mature and sovereign society must impose concern outlooks and precautions, adequate regulations, vigilance regarding the application of standards, combating corruption, operational control over the surfacing of undesirable effects of production processes and appropriate intervention in the face of indeterminate or potential risks. There is growing jurisprudence aimed at reducing the polluting effects of companies’ activities. But the political and institutional structure exists not only to avoid evil practices, but also to encourage good practices, to encourage creativity that seeks new ways, to facilitate personal and collective initiatives.
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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