Patron saint of all of Flanders
Ordained missionary bishop in 628
He founded several monasteries and churches.
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
Solomon’s temple was just about the most glorious thing a Jew could imagine. Hence the trauma at its later destruction. Was God then no longer with his people? Today’s text paints a picture of theological probing into the deep meaning of the temple and its relationship to God: ‘Wilt Thou , God, really dwell on earth?’ Can a built temple contain God? Is God present there in the midst of His people, or is Yahweh so highly exalted and so transcendent that the temple can only be the place where His Name dwells and where one addresses God in heaven, His very dwelling place? The lecture provides a piece of theological history of thinking about God and securing his transcendence.
FIRST READING I Kings 8, 22-23,27-30
Thou hast said that thy name shall dwell there
and that Thou wilt listen there
to the supplication of thy people Israel.
From the first Book of Kings
In those days Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,
in front of all the community of Israel.
He stretched out his hands to heaven and said :
“Lord, God of Israel ,
apart from You there is no god in heaven above
or down here on earth,
who is so merciful and so faithful
to the covenant with Your servants
Who with all their heart turn their steps towards Thee.
“But would Thou, God, really dwell on earth?
“Even heaven and the heaven of heavens
cannot contain Thee !
“How then this temple that I have built ?
“Then heed the entreaties of Thy servant,
Lord my God,
and listen to his cries
and to the prayer Your servant addresses to You today.
“Let Your eyes watch over this temple day and night
and over the sanctuary of which Thou hast said
that Thy name would dwell there,
and listen to the prayer
which Thy servant addresses Thee in this place.
“Listen therefore to the supplication of thy servant
and of thy people Israel,
which they shall address to Thee in this place.
“Yea, Thou shalt hear it from heaven, Thy dwelling place.
“Hear then and grant forgiveness.”
INTERLUDIUM Hymns Ps. 84(83), 3, 4, 5, 10, 11
How dear to me is Your dwelling place, Lord of heavens!
My soul longs and yearns for Your sanctuary.
My heart and all my being
go forth rejoicing to You, the God who lives.
For even the sparrows do find shelter,
the swallows a nest for their brood ;
to me that is Your altar, Lord of heavenly powers,
my King and my God!
Happy they who dwell in thy house, O Lord,
who may praise You there always.
God, my protector, look down,
look up to your anointed one.
For me, one day in your court is better
than a thousand days elsewhere.
Much rather I stand on the threshold of God’s house
than to be a guest in the tent of sinners.
ALLELUIA cf Lk 8:15
Alleluia.
Blessed are those who keep the Word of God which they heard
in a good and noble heart
And bring forth fruit by their constancy.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 7, 1-13
Ye forsake the commandment of God
And hold fast to the lore of men.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
Once the Pharisees
and some scribes from Jerusalem gathered together with Jesus,
and they saw that some of his disciples were eating with unclean,
that is, unwashed hands were eating.
After all, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat
without having first washed their fingertips,
since they hold to the tradition of the forefathers;
do they come from the market ,
they do not eat until they have cleansed themselves;
There are many other things
to which they adhere by tradition :
washing cups, pitchers and copper dishes.
Therefore
the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus the question :
“Why don’t your disciples behave
according to the tradition of the forefathers ,
but eat with unclean hands ?”
He answered them :
“How rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites!
“Surely it is written :
This people honours Me with their lips
but their heart is far from Me.
They honour Me, but without sense ,
and human law is what they teach.
“Ye forsake the commandment of God
and hold fast to the lore of men :
wash jugs and cups
and more of such things ye do.
“It is beautiful!
– he continued –
that you disobey the commandment of God
to maintain your lore !
“After all, Moses said :
honour thy father and thy mother, and
Whoever curses his father or his mother must die.
“And yet ye teach :
If anyone says to his father or mother :
everything with which I could help you, is Korban,
– which means : sacrifice –
then you no longer allow him
to do anything for his father or mother.
“Thus you render the word of God powerless
in favour of your tradition which you pass on.
“And ye do more such things.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
Politics and economy in dialogue for full human fulfilment
189. Politics should not submit to economics and it should not submit to the precepts and efficiency-oriented paradigm of technocracy. Today, when we think of the common good, we inescapably need politics and economics to be in dialogue decidedly at the service of life, especially human life. Saving the banks at all costs and making the people pay the price for it without the unshakeable determination to overhaul and reform the whole system, once again establishes an absolute power of money that has no future and will only be able to create new crises after a long, costly and apparent care. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was an opportunity to develop a new economy more mindful of ethical principles, and for a new regulation of speculative financial activity and virtual wealth. But there has been no response that has led to rethinking the outdated criteria that continue to dominate the world. Production is not always rational and it is often linked to economic variables that assign products a value that does not always correspond to their real value. This often determines an overproduction of some goods with a not necessarily environmental impact, which at the same time harms many regional economies. A financial bubble is usually also a production bubble. What one fails to address decisively is ultimately the problem of the real economy, which allows production to diversify and improve, businesses to function adequately, small and medium enterprises to develop and create jobs and so on.
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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