The Ascension of the Cross is a feast day of the
Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Invitation
May I draw your attention to
The daily reading of the Gospel
This invitation aims to share with you 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
Consideration
From the pilgrim account of Egeria, late 4th century: “Already many days in advance masses of people begin to gather from everywhere, not only monks and hermits from the different provinces, that is, from Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt or Thebaid, where there are very many monks, but also from all other places and different provinces. For there is no one who does not want to go to Jerusalem on that one day for such a joyous and glorious day. Even the laity, men and women, on those days gather together equally with a believing heart from all the provinces in Jerusalem, because of that holy day.”
FIRST READING Num. 21, 4-9
Everyone who was bitten by a serpent
and fixed his eyes on the bronze serpent remained alive.
From the book of Numbers
From Mount Hor, the Israelites marched
in the direction of the Red Sea
for they wanted to go around Edom.
But on the way, the people became impatient.
They turned against God
and against Moses:
‘Did You bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert?
‘There is no bread
there is no water
and this inferior food resists us’.
Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people.
They bit the Israelites
and many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said:
‘We have sinned ,
for we have turned against the Lord and against you.
‘Pray to the Lord ,
to take these snakes away from us’.
Then Moses prayed for the people
and the Lord said to him:
‘Make a poisonous snake
and put it on a pole.
Everyone who is bitten and looks at it ,
will live.
Moses made a bronze snake
And put it on a pole.
Everyone who was bitten by a snake
and fixed his eyes on the bronze serpent ,
remained alive.
INTERLUDIUM Psalm 78(77), 1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
Let us never forget what God has done.
Listen, my people, to my teaching
Open your ears to what I say to you.
A wise lesson I will tell you
Which is hidden in the past.
They sought him alone when he smote them,
then they sought him in sorrow;
then they knew again that the Lord was their rock,
the Most High their saviour.
But with their mouths they deceived him,
they lied to him with their tongues;
For they were not sincere in themselves,
they did not believe in His covenant.
Yet He was merciful, He forgave their sins
And did not exterminate them.
Again and again He subdued His wrath
and subdued His wrath.
SECOND READING Phil. 2:6-11
He emptied Himself,
therefore God exalted Him on high.
From the holy apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in
Philippi
Brothers and sisters,
He who existed in divine majesty
did not want to cling
to equality with God.
He emptied himself
and assumed the existence of a slave.
He made himself equal to humans.
And appearing as human
he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him on high
and gave him the name
which is exalted above all names.
So that on hearing his name
every knee would bow
in heaven and on earth and under the earth;
And every tongue would confess
To the glory of God the Father:
Jesus Christ is Lord.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
We worship and praise Thee, O Christ
for through Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 3, 13-17
The Son of Man must be exalted on high.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time, Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘No one has ever ascended to heaven
except He who descended from heaven ,
the Son of Man.
‘And this Son of Man must be lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness .
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes in Him
believes in Him has eternal life.
‘For God so loved the world
That He gave His only begotten Son
so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish
but will have eternal life.
‘God did not send His Son
He did not send Him into the world to judge the world ,
but that the world might be saved through Him.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
36. If we fail to rediscover the shared passion for
a united and supportive community, to which we must devote time, commitment and goods
the global illusion that deceives us will collapse
catastrophically and leave many sickening and empty
behind. Moreover, we should not be so naive as to ignore the fact that
‘the obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, especially when only a few can afford it,
will only bring violence and mutual destruction.
The ‘save who can save’ will soon change in ‘all against all’ and that will be worse than a pandemic.
Continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text of this issue is taken from The New Translation of the Bible,
Netherlands Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations of liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English Translation