French monk who lived from 1090 to 1153. Most influential figure of his time.
Promoter of the reforming Cistercian monastic order.
Invitation
I would like to draw your attention to
the daily Gospel reading
This invitation wants to share the joy of the Gospel with you.
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
Jesus speaks to his disciples about the wealth that can be an obstacle on the way to the Kingdom of God. His words are harsh and desperate for some. They are seekers like us. Jesus teaches them that they do not acquire eternal life in their own strength. Ultimately, eternal life is a gift from God himself.
FIRST READING Ezekiel 28:1-10
Though you are a man and not a god, in your heart you are equal to a god.
From the prophet Ezekiel
The word of the Lord came to me:
“Son of man ,
to the prince of Tyre you must say this:
Thus speaks the Lord God :
Thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said:
I am a god,
I sit on a throne of gods, surrounded by the sea.
“And though you are a man and not a god ,
In your heart you equate yourself with a god.
“You are surely wiser than Daniel,
and no secret is hidden from you.
“By your wisdom and foresight
you have acquired power
and have gathered gold and silver in your vaults.
“By your abundance of wisdom
and with your merchandise you have increased your power,
and then your heart lifted up
because of your power.
“Therefore the Lord God speaks thus:
Because in thy heart
hast made thyself equal to a god ,
therefore have I delivered thee up to the strangers
the hardest of the nations.
“They shall draw their swords
against the splendour of thy wisdom
and defile your glory.
“They will push you into the pit of the grave
and you will die
the bitter death of the vanquished.
there, surrounded by the sea.
“Then will you still say you are a god
in the face of him who kills you?
“And that as long as you are a man and not a god, you are at the mercy of him who kills you!
At the mercy of him who kills you!
“The death of the uncircumcised thou shalt die
by the hand of strangers,
for I have spoken it.
Thus speaks the Lord God.
INTERLUDIO Deut. 32, 26-27ab, 27cd-28, 30, 35cd-36ab
I kill and I give life, I smite and I heal.
Thus He would surely scatter them
His name among the nations;
if He had not feared the mockery of the enemy,
who might misunderstand.
Then they would say: we have overcome,
it was not the Lord who did all this.
After all, they are people without understanding,
they have no understanding.
How can one man put a thousand to flight?
two defeat ten thousand;
when their God does not deliver them,
when the Lord does not sell his people?
The day of their downfall is near,
The sad fate that awaits them is near.
The Lord will answer for the justice of his people,
He will be merciful to his servants.
HALLELUJAH 2 Tim. 1:10b
Alleluia.
Our Saviour Christ Jesus has destroyed death
and enlightened imperishable life
through the gospel.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 19:23-30
It is easier for a camel
to pass through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
At that time, Jesus spoke to his disciples:
“Truly, I say to you
it is difficult for a rich person
to enter the kingdom of heaven.
“But it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.
When the disciples heard this, they were stunned and asked :
“Who can really be saved?”.
Jesus looked at them and said:
“This is not in the power of men,
But with God all things are possible.
To which Peter said:
“Look, we have left everything to follow you.
So what shall we receive?
Jesus said to them:
“Truly I say to you :
At the rebirth, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory
shall sit on the throne of his glory ,
you also who have followed me shall sit on twelve thrones
and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.
“And everyone who leaves his house, brothers or sisters, father or mother ,
wife, children or fields for my name’s sake
will receive a hundredfold
and receive eternal life.
“Many first will be the last
and many last will be first.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
11. But history shows signs of decadence. Anachronistic conflicts thought to have been overcome
flared up; closed forms of nationalism
aggressive forms of nationalism. An idea of popular unity
and nation permeated by different ideologies creates new forms of egoism in different countries.
in different countries new forms of selfishness and loss of social feeling, masked by the
social feeling, masked by a perceived defence of national interests.
national interests. And this reminds us that “each generation remembers
must appropriate the struggles and achievements of previous generations
and lead them to even higher goals. That is the way. The
well-being, such as love, justice and solidarity, cannot be achieved once.
They must be conquered every day. It is not possible to be satisfied with what has already been acquired in the past, to stand still and enjoy it,
as if this state of affairs would prevent us from closing our eyes to the fact that many people are
closing our eyes to the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters continue to suffer from
suffer situations of injustice that challenge us all.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text of this edition 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
Fratelli tutti Official English translation.
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