St Monica was the Mother of St Augustine.
Born in 333 and died in 387.
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 opened new horizons in His time. He does the same for us, today. He forces us to open windows. We often think that it is only in our modern society and the Church today that values and traditions are questioned. Today’s gospel shows how great the contradictions were between those who put the letter of the law first, and those who wanted to make Jesus’ message concrete in their lives. When do I experience this tension myself? How strongly does it weigh on my lifestyle?
FIRST READING 2 Thess. 2, 1-3a. 14-17
Observe the traditions in which you have been taught by us.
From the second letter of the holy apostle Paul to the Christians of Thessalonica
Brothers and sisters,
We must beseech you
in connection with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our reunion with Him
not to lose your reflection so soon,
and not be alarmed
by prophecies, statements or letters
allegedly coming from us, claiming
that the day of the Lord has arrived.
Don’t let anyone fool you!
God has called you
through our proclamation of the gospel,
that you may
acquire the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, brothers and sisters,
stand fast and hold fast to the traditions
Wherein ye have been taught by us,
whether orally or in writing.
May the Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
may God our Father
who has shown us his love, and in his mercy
bestowed eternal comfort and joyful hope,
encourage your hearts
and strengthen them with all good things in word and deed.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 96(95), 10, 11-12,13
Justly shall the Lord rule the world.
Say to one another: the Lord reigns!
Unshakably He created the earth,
He rules the nations with fairness.
Then the heavens shine and the earth rejoices,
the sea hums along with all that lives there;
the fields sway with all their crops,
the forest giants bow their heads.
They cheer the Lord because He is coming,
He is coming as King of the Earth.
Righteously He will rule the world,
the nations fair and faithful.
ALLELUIA Mt 4, 4b
Alleluia.
Not from bread alone does man live,
but from all that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 23, 23-26
One must do one thing and not omit another.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Jesus spoke :
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
“Ye do pay tithes of mint, anise and cumin ,
but the most important of the Law :
Justice, mercy and faithfulness
neglect ye.
“One must do the one and not neglect the other.
“Blind leaders, who sift out the gnat and swallow the camel !
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites !
“The outside of cup and saucer you clean,
but inside they are filled with robbery and pleasure-seeking.
“Blind Pharisees, cleanse first the cup within,
then the outside will itself become clean.”
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship.
18. Certain parts of humanity seem likely to be sacrificed
in favour of a selection that favours a category of
people who are found worthy to live unrestricted.
In essence, “human beings are no longer perceived as having a primary value that
to be respected and protected, especially if they are poor and disabled, if “they are not yet useful” – like the unborn children -, or “if they are no longer useful” – like the elderly. We have become insensitive
become desensitised to any form of waste, starting with that of food, which is one of the most condemnable”.
To be continued
Every morning at 1 am
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
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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