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
In the middle of a friendly letter, Paul makes himself angry for a moment? What is it about? Does he mean the pagans, who speak of ‘the folly of the cross’ ? Quite unlikely that he is suddenly weeping over that. Does he mean the Jewish Christians, who also fought him in other congregations, and give so much attention to food laws ? Or is he simply talking about lax Christians in the congregation, who live rather materialistic lives (their belly is their god) and for whom he is rightly concerned ? That is the most likely in this context. Anyway, the sentence that follows is for all Christians of every age: ‘Our homeland is in heaven…’
FIRST READING Phil. 3:17 – 4:1
We expect our Saviour
who will recreate our poor body
and make it like his glorified body.
From the letter of the holy apostle Paul to the Christians of Philippi
Brothers and sisters,
Follow after me and keep in mind those
who behave according to the example I have given you.
For many lead a life . . .
I have often pointed them out to you
but now I cannot but speak of them with tears :
the enemies of Christ’s cross.
They are headed for destruction ,
their belly is their god,
in their shame they set their honour,
they have set their sights on the earthly.
But our homeland is in heaven
and from heaven we expect our Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will recreate our poor body
and make it like His glorified body,
with the same power
that enables Him to subdue the universe to Himself.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, for whom I so long,
my joy and my crown,
thus endure in the Lord, my beloved.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 122(121), 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
How glad was I, when I was called :
we are going to God’s house!
How happy was I, when I was called :
we are going to God’s house!
Now may my foot, Jerusalem,
may enter your gates.
Jerusalem, walled city,
built so close together:
to thee do the tribes march,
the tribes of God’s people.
They go according to Israel’s custom
worship the Name of God.
There stand the seats of justice,
the throne of David’s house.
ALLELUIA John 8, 12
Alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord ;
He who follows Me shall possess the light of life.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 16, 1-8
The children of this world act among themselves with more deliberation
than the children of light.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
At that time, Jesus spoke to his disciples :
‘Once there was a rich man who had a steward ,
who was charged with wasting his property.
‘So he called him and asked :
What do I hear from you there ?
‘Give account of thy stewardship ,
for thou canst no longer remain steward.
‘Then the steward reasoned to himself :
What shall I do now that my lord is depriving me of stewardship ?
‘I cannot dig, and beg : for that I am ashamed.
‘I already know what I shall d
So that, after my dismissal as steward, I find shelter.
‘He summoned his lord’s debtors, one by one ,
and said to the first :
How much do you owe my master?
‘This one replied : One hundred barrels of oil.
‘But he said :
Here you have your confession of debt ;
Sit down quickly and write : fifty.
‘Thereupon he asked a second one :
How much do you owe?
‘This one answered: One hundred measures of wheat.
‘He said to him :
Here is your confession ; write : eighty.
‘The lord praised it in the unjust steward
That he had acted with deliberation,
for the children of this world
act among themselves with more deliberation
than the children of light.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
The unique value of love
91. People can develop certain attitudes that represent moral values:
strength, sobriety, efficacy and other virtues.
But to adequately direct the actions of different moral
virtues, it is necessary also to consider
to what extent they create a dynamic of openness and union towards other
people. This dynamic is the charity that God
bestows. Otherwise, we might only have a semblance of virtues
and these will not be able to build a life in community.
That is why St Thomas Aquinas said – quoting St
Augustine – that the temperance of a miser is far from virtuous.
St Bonaventure, in other words, declared that the other
virtues without charity do not, strictly speaking, fulfil the commandments of God,
‘as God intends them’.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English translation