Invitation
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.
Consideration
Elisha is called to the place where he works. We too are called: in the midst of our daily lives. And even today, God calls us through others. This raises a troubling question: are we aware that we in turn can be God’s instrument, that he uses us to call others? Yet today’s first reading is recognisable. You cannot follow God without breaking with certain things or persons. Jesus will later say, ‘If anyone wants to be with me, let him take up his cross and follow me’. How do we deal with the idea of such total surrender?
FIRST READING 1 Kings 19, 19-21
Elisha left and followed Elijah.
From the first book of Kings
In those days Elijah returned from the mountain
and struck Elisha the son of Shaphat
while he was ploughing.
Twelve herds of oxen went before him;
He himself was among the twelfth.
As Elijah passed by, he threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen,
walked behind Elijah and said:
‘Let me first say goodbye to my father and my mother ;
Then I will follow you.
He answered him:
‘Come back again; have I ever forced you to do anything?’.
Thereupon Elisha returned to the oxen,
took his herd, slaughtered them,
and cooked the meat on the wood of the yokes.
And fed it to his workers.
Then he departed, followed Elijah and became his servant.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 16(15), 1-2a, 5, 7-8, 9-10
The Lord is my inheritance, my drink from the cup.
Protect me, O God, to You I take refuge;
You are my Lord, I acknowledge You.
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 dost not leave in the kingdom of the dead,
Thou dost not deliver Thy servant to the grave.
Alleluia Ps. 19(18), 9
Alleluia.
Thy precepts, O Lord, are trustworthy,
they make the ignorant wise.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 5, 33-37
I tell you: do not swear at all.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You have heard that it was said to our forefathers:
Thou shalt not swear falsely ,
but ye shall fulfil your oaths before the Lord.
‘But I say unto you, Swear not at all ;
nor by heaven, which is the throne of God;
nor by the earth, which is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for that is the city of the Lord.
Nor by Jerusalem, for that is the city of the great King.
‘Nor by your head should you swear ,
for you cannot make a hair white or black.
‘But your yes must be yes and your no no ;
and what is added to it is out of the question.’
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APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION LAUDATE DEUM
FROM THE HOLY FATHER
PAUS FRANCISCO
TO ALL NATIONS
OF GOOD WILL
70. Nevertheless, every little bit helps, and preventing an increase in the
earth’s temperature by a tenth of a degree would, for all that, be enough to alleviate the suffering of
many people’s suffering. But what is important is something less quantitative: the
need to realise that there is no lasting change without cultural
changes, without a maturing of lifestyles and beliefs within
societies, and that there are no cultural changes without personal
changes.
Continued.
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Translation of the Bible,
Netherlands Bible Society 2004/2007.
Reflections on liturgical suggestions for the week and Sunday
Laudato Deum Official English translation
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