Thursday in the seventh week of Easter

May I draw your attention to

The daily reading of the Gospel

This invitation seeks to convey the joy

of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception

can experience that joy by opening his or her heart

to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every day.

Unrest breaks out in Jerusalem around Paul. He is captured and brought before the Sanhedrin. Two things are of great importance here. As with Gamaliael in his day, the Sanhedrin is now divided between Pharisees (who accept the resurrection) and Sadducees (who deny it). Paul cleverly manages to exploit this division. But there is more. As then before Gallio’s court in Corinth, Luke emphasises that Christianity is not dangerous to the Roman state system and that disputes between Jews and Christians are completely irrelevant to Roman law.

At that time, the commander wanted to know exactly what the Jews were accusing Paul of.

What the Jews were accusing Paul of,

and so the next day he got him out of prison

and ordered

the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble.

Then he had Paul brought there

and sit before them.

He knew that the Sanhedrin was made up partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees

And partly of Pharisees,

Paul now exclaimed to the Sanhedrin:

“Brethren,

I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees.

“Because of the expectation and resurrection of the dead, I am on trial.”

When he had said this

a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly became divided.

And the assembly was divided.

For the Sadducees claimed that there is no resurrection and that there are no angels or spirits.

And that there are no angels or spirits,

while the Pharisees assumed both.

So a great tumult arose

and some scribes of the party of the Pharisees

said with great vehemence:

“We find nothing wrong with this man!

“Has a spirit or an angel ever spoken to him?

As the discord grew worse and worse

and the commander began to fear

that Paul would be torn to pieces,

he ordered the soldiers to come down

to chase him away from their midst

and take him to the barracks.

The next night, the Lord appeared to him and spoke to him:

“Have good courage ;

For as you have testified for my sake in Jerusalem ,

so shall you have to do also in Rome”.

Protect me, O God, in You I seek refuge.

Alleluia.

Protect me, O God, to You I take refuge;

You are my Lord, I acknowledge.

The Lord is my inheritance, my drink from the cup,

He holds my destiny in His hand.

I thank the Lord who has always guided me,

He speaks to my heart even at night.

I always keep my eyes on the Lord,

I do not fall, for He is by my side.

That’s why I am happy and happy in spirit,

Therefore I can sleep peacefully.

My soul Thou wilt not leave in the kingdom of the dead,

Thou wilt not deliver Thy servant to the grave.

Thou wilt show me the way of life

To find all my bliss with Thee,

Eternal bliss at Thy side.

Alleluia.

I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord,

and He will bring you into all truth.

Alleluia.

At that moment, Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven and prayed

“Holy Father ,

I pray not only for them

but also for those who believe in me through his word

that they may all be one

As You, Father, are in Me and I in You:

That they also may be in Us, that the world may believe

that You have sent Me.

“I have given them the glory which You have given Me,

that they may be one as We are one:

I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfectly one.

And that the world may know that You have sent Me

and have loved them as You have loved Me.

“Father, I want those whom You have given Me

may be with Me where I am

That they may behold My glory

which You have given Me

For You have loved Me

before the foundation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world has not recognised You, I have recognised You,

I have acknowledged Thee,

and these here have acknowledged that You have sent Me.

“Your Name I have revealed to them

and I will continue to do so

so that the love with which You have loved Me

may be in them and I in them.

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APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION LAUDATE DEUM

OF THE HOLY FATHER

TO ALL PEOPLE

OF GOOD WILL

40. The point is not to replace politics, but to recognise that emerging forces are becoming increasingly relevant and in fact capable of achieving important results in the field of politics.

emerging forces are becoming increasingly relevant and even capable of achieving important results in solving concrete problems, as some of them showed during the pandemic.

solve concrete problems, as some of them showed during the pandemic.

demonstrated. The very fact that answers to problems can come from any country, no matter how small, leads to the

however small, leads to the presentation of multilateralism as an inevitable process.

Continued

The Bible text in this issue is taken from the New Translation of the Bible,

The New Bible Translation, ©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.

Reflections on liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays

Laudato Deum Official English translation

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