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
“The truth will set you free.” This is one of those enduring, lapidary phrases from John’s Gospel, but how easily it is misunderstood. It is not about philosophy, about the human search for philosophical or scientific truth. Truth here is the divine truth that comes to us in Christ and saves us. Freedom, then, is freedom from the bondage of sin; freedom from the darkness of a God-forsaken existence. In this sense, we come very close to the Pauline “For freedom Christ has made us free” (Gal. 5:1), the freedom of the children of God.
FIRST READING Dan. 3, 14-20.91-92.95
The Lord sent his angel to save his servants.
From the Prophet Daniel
In those days, King Nebuchadnezzar asked
to the men Sadrak, Mezak and Abednego :
“Is it true that you do not worship my god
and do not worship the golden image I have erected ?
“Well, are ye willing, on hearing the sounds
Of horn and flute, of zither, lute and harp,
of bagpipes and all kinds of other musical instruments
throw thyself down and worship the image I have made ?
“Refuse thou to do so, and thou shalt be put instantly
into the blazing fire of a furnace
and what god will then be able to deliver thee from my power?”
They answered the king :
“Nebuchadnezzar, we do not consider it necessary
to answer your question.
“If there is a god who can ,
then it is our God whom we worship :
He is able to deliver us from the blazing fire of a furnace
and He will snatch us from your grasp, king.
“But the king be assured, that ,
even if God does not save us, we will not worship your god
and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar became furious with them
and his countenance turned ;
he gave orders to fire the furnace seven times hotter than usual,
and the strongest of his army he ordered
to bind these men
and to throw them into the blazing furnace of fire.
But suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar was startled,
rose hastily and said to his counsellors :
“Surely we threw three men handcuffed into the fire?”
They answered the king : “Certainly, king !”
He resumed :
“But I see four men untied
and without injury moving in the fire ;
the fourth resembles a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke :
“Praised be the God of Sadrak, Mezak and Abednego :
He has sent His angel to save His servants
who, trusting in Him
violated the king’s command
and gave up their bodies,
because they wanted to worship no god
or worship but their own God.”
INTERLUDIUM Dan. 3, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56
To Thee be praise in all ages.
Praised be Thou, Lord, God of our fathers,
To thee be praise throughout all ages.
Praised be Thy holy glorious Name,
To Thee be praise throughout all ages.
Praised be Thou in the house of Thy glory,
To Thee be praise in all ages.
Praised be Thou on the throne of Thy kingdom,
To Thee be praise in all ages.
Praised be Thou, who searches the depths,
enthroned on kerubs, in all ages.
Praised be Thou in the dome of heaven,
To Thee be praise in all ages.
VERS FOR THE GOSPEL Mt 4:4b
Not from bread alone does man live,
but from all that proceeds from the mouth of God.
GOSPEL Jn 8:31-42
If the Son sets you free, you will truly be free.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time, Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him :
“If ye remain faithful to my word
ye are truly my disciples.
“Then you will know the truth
and the truth will make you free.”
One threw up :
“We are of Abraham’s lineage
and never been anyone’s slave.
“How then can Thou say :
Thou shalt become free ?”
Jesus answered them :
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee :
All who do sin
Is slave to sin ,
and the slave does not remain in the house forever.
“He who remains in the house forever
is the Son.
“If the Son makes thee free
ye shall be truly free.
“I know that ye are of Abraham’s lineage ;
yet ye seek to kill Me
because My Word finds no entrance with you.
“I proclaim what I have seen with the Father ,
but ye do what ye have heard from your father.”
They answered Him :
“Our father is Abraham!”
Thereupon Jesus said to them :
“If ye are children of Abraham
then also do the works of Abraham.
“But now ye seek Me to kill a man
Whereas I have told you the truth
which I have heard from God.
“No such thing did Abraham do.
“Thou doest the works of thy father.”
They said to Him :
“We are not born of fornication ;
one father we have
and that is God.”
Jesus said to them :
“If God were thy father
Would ye love Me ,
for from God I went forth
and from God I am here.
“Nay, I have not come of Myself
but He has sent Me.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic by
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for the common home
232. We are not all called to work directly in politics, but within society flourishes an innumerable variety of associations that intervene for the common good by defending the natural and urban environment. They care, for example, about a public place (a building, a fountain, a ruined monument, a landscape, a square), about the protection, rehabilitation, improvement or beautification of something that belongs to all. Around them, ties develop and repair and a new local social network emerges. In this way, a community frees itself from consumerist indifference. This also means nurturing a common identity, a history that is preserved and passed on. In this way, people take on caring for the world and the quality of life of the poorest with a sense of solidarity that is, at the same time, an awareness of inhabiting a common home that God has entrusted to us. These communal actions can turn into intense spiritual experiences when they express a love that gives of itself.
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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