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
Jesus does not want people to get the impression that He is committed to establishing a worldly kingdom. He knows that the people are about to make Him a ‘real’ king, who will free people from oppressive powers. After all, this is how they interpret the concept of ´Messiah´. Jesus, however, has something very different in mind than a worldly kingdom of which He would become the ruler. He knows that He has a very different mission to fulfil. The multiplication of bread and the speech about the bread of eternal life show in what direction His mission will go; the miracle of the multiplication of bread is, just like the Eucharist we celebrate every day, a gesture of pure, immoderate – divine – love! Not a worldly, but a heavenly kingdom Jesus announces.
FIRST READING Acts 5, 34-42
They went away rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.´
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days there was a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin,
Gamaliel, a scholar of the law
who was held in esteem by all the people.
He had the apostles brought out for a moment.
Thereupon he said :
“Men of Israel ,
consider what you are going to do with these men.
“Indeed, before our time, Teudas was acting ,
who claimed to be someone of consequence
and with whom a group of about four hundred men joined.
“He was killed
and all who trusted him were dispersed.
“After him, in the days of the census
Judas the Galilean appeared
and dragged many people with him,
and all who trusted in him were scattered.
“As for our case, I say to you :
Do not interfere with these people
but let them have their way.
“Does this scheme or this work proceed from men ,
it will come to nothing.
“However, does it proceed from God ,
thou shalt not be able to break them up ;
otherwise it might appear that ye are opposed to God.”
They allowed themselves to be persuaded by him.
They called the apostles,
had them scourged,
forbade them to speak in the name of Jesus
and set them free.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin
delighted that they had been found worthy
to suffer defamation for the sake of the name of Jesus.
They continued
teaching daily in the temple and in the houses
and proclaiming the Good News
that Jesus is the Messiah.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 27(26), 1, 4, 13-14
One thing only I ask of the Lord,
more will I not desire :
That I may dwell in God’s house as long as I live.
Or : Alleluia.
The Lord is my light and my guide,
whom should I fear:
The Lord is the brace of my life,
Whom should I fear?
One thing only I ask of the Lord,
more I will not wish:
That I may live in God’s house as long as I live.
That I may experience the loveliness of the Lord,
to see his temple again with my own eyes.
I count on being able to experience
to experience the Lord’s benefits.
Look forward to the Lord and stand firm bravely,
be courageous in heart and trust in the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
Christ rose from the grave
and became a Light to all
whom He redeemed in His blood.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 6:1-15
He had the loaves and fishes distributed among those sitting there, as many as they wanted.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
In those days Jesus went across
of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias.
A great crowd followed Him
because they saw the signs He was doing to the sick.
Jesus went up the mountain
and sat down there with his disciples.
It was shortly before Easter, the feast of the Jews.
When Jesus lifted up his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming towards Him
He asked Philip :
“How should we buy bread for these people to eat?”
– This He said to test Him,
for He Himself knew what He was going to do. –
Philip answered Him :
“Would every one like to get even a small piece
then for two hundred denarii of bread is still too little.”
One of His disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter
remarked :
“There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two fish ,
but what does that mean for such a number ?”
Jesus, however, said :
“Let the people sit down.”
For there was much grass there.
They then sat down ;
the number of men was about five thousand.
Then Jesus took the loaves
and after speaking the prayer of thanksgiving
He had them distributed among the people sitting there,
as well as the fish, as many as they wanted.
When they were satiated, He said to His disciples :
“Now collect the remaining chunks
so that nothing is lost.”
They collected them
and filled twelve baskets of the five barley loaves with lumps,
which had been left by the people after eating.
When the people saw the sign He had done they said :
“This is surely the prophet who must come into the world.”
Since Jesus understood
that they wanted to take possession of Him
to take Him away and proclaim Him king,
He withdrew again into the mountains,
all alone.
____________________________________________________________
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION LAUDATE DEUM
OF THE HOLY FATHER
POPE FRANCISCUS
TO ALL PEOPLE
OF GOOD WILL
Resistance and confusion
6. In recent years, some have chosen to downplay these facts. They
put forward supposedly solid scientific data, such as the fact that the
planet has always had and will always have periods of cooling and warming. They forget
mention, however, another relevant fact: that what we are currently experiencing is an
unusual acceleration of warming, at such a rate that it is only one
generation – and not centuries or millennia – to observe it. The rise in
sea level and the melting of glaciers can be easily observed by an individual during his or her lifetime
be easily observed, and probably in a few years’ time many
populations will have to move because of these facts.
To be continued
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Deum Official English translation
________________________________________________________________