Invitation
May I draw your attention to
The daily reading of the Gospel
This invitation is to share the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception
can experience this joy by opening his or her heart
to the healing power of the Word of God.
Available every day.
Consideration
The demoniac is the prototype of the unbelieving man. For the Jews, he is already redeemed; he is already living in the darkness of the grave. His life is controlled by the forces of evil; he is not free, he is chained like a slave to his chains. The gospel shows that Jesus wants to break through this hardness of Jewish faith and that his healing power is stronger than any trial. It makes us think about the mission of the Church and of every Christian: instead of locking ourselves in an ever-closer circle, Jesus expects us to go where people are waiting to be set free.
FIRST READING II Sam. 15, 13-14. 30 ; 16, 5-13a
We must flee from Absalom. Let Shimei curse me, for the Lord has inspired him.
From the second book of Samuel
In those days, a messenger came to David
with the news that the Israelites
had sided with Absalom.
Then David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Go, we must flee ;
otherwise we will not escape Absalom.
“If you do not leave quickly, he will overtake us ,
he will plunge us into disaster
and turn his sword against the city.
David went up the slope of the Mount of Olives.
Weeping, he went up
his head covered with tears;
All those who were with him also had their heads covered with tears.
And they went up the mountain weeping.
Later, when King David had reached Bashurim ,
a man came walking towards him;
He was of the same sex as Saul’s family.
His name was Shimei, son of Gera.
Swearing and cursing, he went out of the city.
And though the soldiers and the troops of the judges
walked to the left and right of David
he stoned King David and his retinue.
Swearing, Shimei exclaimed:
“Get out of here, dog, get out of here, villain!
“The LORD will avenge all the blood of the house of Saul on you
because you took away his kingship from him;
now the LORD gives it to your son Absalom.
“So you will get the misery that is due to you ,
for you are a bloodhound.
Abisai, the son of Seruja, said to the king:
“What right has that dead dog
to curse my lord the king?
“Shall I go and decapitate him ?”
But King David said:
“Is that sometimes your business, son of Seruja?
“If you curse David ,
because the Lord has set him to do so,
by what right do you do so?”
And David said to Abisai and his courtiers:
“Look, my own son of my blood is taking my life.
“What can we expect from a Benjaminite?
“Let him curse, for the Lord has instilled it in him.
“Perhaps the Lord will look down on my misery
and return happiness to me
instead of his curse today.”
With that, David and his men moved on.
INTERLUDIUM Psalm 3, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Lord, arise and draw near
Come to my aid, O my God
Lord, how numerous are those who torment me,
threateners come upon me.
Everywhere I hear them calling:
Salvation with God they cannot find!
But You, Lord, are my shield,
You give me honour and glory.
Every time I cry out to the Lord
He answers me from His holy mountain.
Surely I can go to rest and sleep
Surely I will rise again, for He is by my side.
Thousands of enemies I will not fear
Though they push wildly around me.
Lord, arise and come near,
Come to my aid, my God.
Alleluia Ps. 145(144), 13cd
Alleluia.
God is true in all his words
And holy in all he does.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk 5, 1-20
Unclean spirit, depart from this man.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
In those days Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake
across the lake
to the land of the Gerasenes.
Hardly had he stepped out of the boat ,
when, coming out of the caves, a man came to him
who was under the power of an unclean spirit.
He lived in the tombs and no one could bind him even with a chain.
To bind him even with a chain ,
for he was already
chained hand and foot,
but he had broken the handcuffs
and broke the handcuffs on his feet.
So no one could charge him.
Day and night he was constantly
screaming in the ditches and on the mountains
and hitting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus in the distance
he ran towards him and fell at his feet.
Shouting loudly, he exclaimed:
“What have you to do with me, Jesus!
Son of God, the Most High?
“I beg you by God, do not torment me.”
For Jesus had said to him:
“Unclean spirit, depart from that man.”
Then Jesus asked him:
“What is thy name?”
He replied:
“My name is Legion
for we are many.
And he earnestly begged Jesus
not to drive them out of the area.
There, against the mountainside
a great herd of wild boars.
They begged him:
“Send those pigs to us and let us in.”
He allowed them to do so.
The unclean spirits came out of the possessed,
entered the boars
and the troop stormed from the steep bank into the lake,
about two thousand of them,
and drowned.
The shepherds of the wild boars fled
and told the town and countryside.
Then people came to see
what had happened.
They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there,
clothed and in his right mind,
the same one who had been under the power of Legion;
and fear seized them.
Those who had seen him
told them how the demon-possessed man had fared ,
and they also told them about the pigs.
Then they began to beg him
to leave their region.
But when Jesus got into the boat
the demoniac wanted to
to stay with him.
But Jesus did not allow it
but said to him:
“Go home to your own
with your family
and tell them all that the Lord has done for you, and how He has shown you mercy, and how He has shown you mercy .
And how He has shown you mercy”.
The man went and started proclaiming in Dekapolis all that Jesus had done for him.
What Jesus had done for him.
And everyone was amazed.
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
181. Continuity is indispensable as one cannot change the policy on climate change and environmental protection every time one changes government. Results take time and involve immediate costs with effects that will not be able to be shown in one government period. Therefore, without popular and institutional pressure, there will always be even more resistance to intervene when urgent issues need to be resolved. For a politician to take on these responsibilities with the costs they entail does not conform to the “efficiency and immediate result-oriented” logic of today’s economy and politics, but if he will have the courage to do so, he will be able to recognise once again the dignity God has given him, and will leave a testimony of noble responsibility after his path in this history. One should make more room for sound politics capable of reforming institutions, coordinating them and providing them with good practices that make it possible to overcome pressure and pernicious inertia. One must add, however, that the best instruments eventually succumb, when great purposes, values, a humanistic and meaningful understanding are missing that are capable of giving any society a noble and noble focus.
Continued
The Bible text of this edition is taken from the New Translation of the Bible,
The Bible text of this edition is taken from the Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
© Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Considerations to the liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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